SHILLONG: As against mere five active cases three weeks ago, Meghalaya’s COVID-19 cases breached the 400-mark on Monday as more positive cases kept on getting reported.
The state added 22 new cases on Monday of which 19 were from East Khasi Hills (BSF-13 and 6 others), while three cases were reported from West Garo Hills.
Giving details, DHS (MI) Dr Aman War said that out of the six positive cases in East Khasi Hills, one was from Khanapara, the other is a high risk contact from ARC while the third one was a high risk contact from a wedding in Bihar.
Later, Health Minister AL Hek informed that three other high risk contacts of the Greenwood Resort wedding party had also tested positive.
“The situation in Khanapara is not good. At any point of time, there can be a surge”, Dr War warned.
As for the BSF camp, Dr War said that there were no more returnees from outside the state adding that the BSF personnel were also getting recovered. “We will have more recoveries now”, he said.
To a query that the Byrnihat health workers were apprehensive about getting infected, the DHS director admitted that there was a health risk for health workers but maintained that the health workers should ensure that they are well protected by using masks and wearing PPEs.
As for the backlog of samples of numerous returnees pending with the test centres, compelling the returnees to remain in hotels, quarantine centres for over a week, he said that earlier the Health department conducted the pool testing which did not delay the results but the results are delayed as they have opted for individual testing of the samples.
Replying to a query on the allegation of Congress MLA Zenith Sangma that a positive patient was absconding, War said, “I have to get a report on that”.
With the 22 positive cases on Monday, the total active cases in the state have gone up to 416. East Khasi Hills has 359 cases (BSF-278, others-67, Armed Forces-14), Ri Bhoi has 36 cases, West Garo Hills has 14 cases, East Jaintia Hills and South Garo Hills have two cases each, while South West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills and North Garo Hills have one case each.
Three BSF personnel also recovered in East Khasi Hills taking the total number of recovered patients in the state to 52. Four people have died of COVID-19 so far.
The number of samples sent for testing till 2 pm was 28,455 out of which the negative results were 27,466. Results of 520 were awaited while the number of entrants in the state till 2 pm on Monday was 22,843.
Commenting on the hurdles faced during the last rites of BSF personnel, Nandeshwar Deury, as the priest at the BSF camp was inside the containment zone in Umpling, Dr War said that henceforth the Health department would have prior communication with religious leaders for the performance of last rites.
