SHILLONG: The Health department on Wednesday said it has traced 44 high-risk contacts of the two persons, who attended a wedding at Greenwood Resort at Khanapara, and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 while the number of active cases in the state has gone up to 54.
The two patients were part of a 41-strong marriage party.
The Director of DHS (MI), Aman War, said the two patients were undergoing treatment at the Shillong Civil Hospital.
War said Health department officials have visited Pynthorbah where one of the patients belongs. The other patient is from Lachumiere.
He said 23 contacts were traced to one and another 21 to the other patient; their samples have been taken and they have been placed under quarantine.
War, however, said they were expecting more contacts.
“There will be more, there will be so much more. Our team is there on the ground, doing the tracing even now. These people were moving around before we came to know about the wedding, that is why we are doing the contact tracing. We have traced all the high-risk contacts, and we will know about their test reports by tomorrow”, he said.
54 active cases
Meanwhile, six more persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday taking the number of active cases to 54. The number of recoveries, on the other hand, went up to 45 with two patients recovering in South West Garo Hills.
War said that the number of samples sent for testing is 22, 221, out of which 21, 902 were negative.
The number of returnees to Meghalaya till 2 pm on Wednesday was 20, 693.
Of the active cases, 35 are from East Khasi Hills (27 from BSF, two from Indian Air Force and six civilians), 15 from Ri Bhoi district, one from East Jaintia Hills and three from West Garo Hills.
War said, “We do not want to concentrate too much on the numbers. We are concentrating on the signs and symptoms of the positive cases. We have full confidence in the health teams and are well prepared for any eventuality”. He added that people will have to live with COVID, but maintain the three health protocols and said, “Prevention is the cure and there is no other way”.
BSF Camps
War said test reports of 108 persons are awaited at the BSF camp in Umpling.
As for the other BSF camps — 262 jawans were tested negative for COVID-19 in Dobasipara BOP while 42 test results are awaited; 70 were tested negative in Paharinagar BOP and 9 test results are awaited while 52 tests also came out negative in Dhankagre and results of 16 tests are awaited.
War said that the BSF COVID patients are confined only among themselves and they are asymptomatic.
