SHILLONG: The ominous trend of community spread of active COVID cases continued on Sunday with the gap between the armed forces and the civilians getting significantly reduced. Since COVID first broke out in the state in April, almost 90 per cent of the cases were related to BSF, Assam Rifles, Army and Air Force personnel. Now, with surging cases being reported from different localities of Shillong and other parts of the state, the gap is roughly reduced to 60 per cent and 40%!
Clearly, the virus seems to have made inroads into the community.
On Sunday, 56 more cases were reported out of which 32 were from the paramilitary and armed forces.
DHS (MI) Director, Aman War, however, said it was yet to be assessed whether there was any community spread. “If we are unable to trace the contacts, it means it is community spread”, he told reporters on Sunday , hours before the three-day lockdown-curfew for Shillong agglomeration kicked in from midnight.
Asked about cluster testing, War said it might start any time and the Health department is ready.
The state government has decided to go for random rapid Antigen tests in 71 clusters all over the state immediately to arrest the spread of the virus through extensive tests of people. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had said that the tests would be conducted using Antigen kits
With a number of fake reports surfacing about positive cases, War said that people should wait for the final announcement from the DHS.
He also said that every time a 108 ambulance arrives in a certain locality it does not mean that there is a positive case. It may take a person for testing and he or she may not necessarily be a COVID patient, he said.
“Please do not go around announcing positive cases unless it is confirmed by the health department. Reports will have to be verified properly”, War said.
Out of the 56 cases, in East Jaintia Hills there are five. One was found to be positive from random testing. The patient is a PHC staff of Pamra Paithlu. The other four were contacts of the staff. “We are finding out how the staff got infected”, War said.
In West Jaintia Hills, it is a returnee from Assam while in West Khasi Hills three are returnees.
In Ri Bhoi, five are from the armed forces in Rongmen, three are returnees from Assam and one an attendant in a hospital in Guwahati.
In North Garo Hills, the patient is a returnee from Assam who is a staff of MeECL.
Among the 37 cases in East Khasi Hills, four are armed forces returnees, 23 are BSF among whom two are returnees before July 23 while 21 personnel are Umpling contacts, one is a CRPF returnee.
Of the other nine patients, four are returnees — two from Bihar and two from Assam and three from Marbisu who are contacts of the staff nurse from NEIGRIHMS who tested positive, one is a positive case from Mawpat and one case from Laitumkhrah.
Asked about the cases from Mawpat which currently stand at 21, War pointed out that there were many BSF personnel.
Responding to queries about disclosing the names of the patients, the DHS director maintained that medical ethics has to be followed and if people openly come out to declare, then the health department has no objection.
2 cops test positive in WKH
Three more people, including two police personnel, were confirmed COVID-19 positive after a test was conducted in Shillong, adds our Nongstoin correspondent.
The three victims include one policeman from North Garo Hills who was recently posted at 4th Battalion,Sohpian and arrived at Nongstoiñ on July 13, a 3rd Battalion personnel, a resident of Nongpyndeng village who returned from Delhi on July 20, and a resident of Mawngap, Riangdo who was a handyman of a FCI truck who returned from Assam on July 13.
Health department officials said that the three people were under their respective quarantine centres and will be shifted on Monday to corona care centre at Mawiawban, Nongstoiñ.