SHILLONG: The Health department has deputed nine teams comprising 36 personnel to initiate contact tracing of positive cases for two days starting from Monday.
The East Khasi Hills district administration had imposed curfew to facilitate contact tracing of people in view of spurt in COVID-19 cases.
The curfew starts from 6 am on Monday to 6 am on Wednesday.
Commissioner and Secretary of Health, Sampath Kumar said on Sunday that four members constitute one team.
While two teams each will be deployed for Lady Keane area, Laban and Pynthorbah, there will one each team for Bishnupur, Demseiniong and Upper Mawprem.
The intention of the government is to use the lockdown period to prevent further spread of the virus.
The government also plans to use the service of Community COVID Management Committees and the newly set up Behaviour Change Management Committees of various localities to create awareness on the need to have behaviour change at the household level.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had said that since more than 95% of cases presently active in the state are from Shillong, the two-day lockdown was necessary to trace the contacts of the positive patients.
He added that the shutdown was to ‘lockdown the virus’ through behaviour change.
7 positive cases in NEIGRIHMS
NEIGRIHMS on Sunday reported seven COVID-19 positive cases in the hospital.
NEIGRIHMS Director Dr P Bhattacharya said the seven include a staff nurse, three patients and three attendants of patients.
He said that “in all likelihood” the infection might have spread from the BSF personnel, who was the first to test positive for the virus while undergoing treatment, although all the seven cases cannot be traced to him.
He informed that contact tracing of more than 100 persons was done. “More will come up,” he said as contact tracing is being done for high-risk patients.
DC under quarantine
The Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills, Matsiewdor War, is under quarantine as a relative of hers has been tested positive.
When contacted, War said that she will be under quarantine for 14 days. The relative had come in contact with a positive patient who was part of the wedding party at Greenwood Resort.
The positive patient is recuperating at a corona care centre.
The relative has come in direct contact with the COVID-19 positive patient. The relative stays in the same compound at Lad Nongkrem.
War had gone for test at Civil Hospital on Saturday at Truenat, and RTPCR test was conducted on Sunday and both came out negative.
She has apprised the government about the situation and has decided for home quarantine of 14 days.
First case in East Garo Hills
East Garo Hills has recorded its first case of COVID-19 infection after a returnee tested positive on Sunday.
East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Swapnil Tembe said that the 43-year-old returnee from Delhi, who was asymptomatic, has been put under quarantine at the district corona care centre since arrival.
The district administration has also started the process of random testing of the general public to check for possible infections.
“We have started from Saturday with medical teams collecting swab samples from Williamnagar market. So far 83 samples have been collected and sent for tests,” Tembe said.
