Meghalaya inches towards 1000 cases

SHILLONG: A traffic policeman, a tea vendor from Khyndai lad, a pharmacist from Shillong Civil Hospital and two ward boys from Civil Hospital and NEIGRIHMS were among the 37 people who tested positive on Thursday, taking the number of confirmed cases in the state to 990.
Though DHS (MI) Dr Aman War announced detection of 51 cases in his daily press briefing on Thursday, 14 of them, all BSF personnel, were tested positive in West Garo Hills late Wednesday evening.
Out of the 37 cases, 17 were detected in East Khasi Hills (BSF-7, Police-1, Armed Forces-3, others- 6).
In East Khasi Hills, one traffic police personnel stationed at Mawiong was tested positive. Dr War informed that the personnel is a primary contact of another policeman who was earlier tested positive in East Jaintia Hills.
A tea vendor at Khyndai Lad was also tested positive. She had influenza like symptoms and had visited Woodland Hospital for consultation where she was asked to go for COVID testing and later her report was positive.
War said that two ward boys from Shillong Civil Hospital and NEIGRIHMS, apart from a pharmacist at Civil Hospital also tested positive on the day. One returnee also tested positive for COVID-19 in the district.
Apart from East Khasi Hills, 19 cases were reported in Ri Bhoi (Armed Forces-15 and others-4).
Out of the four civilian cases, three are returnees while the fourth case was detected in Byrnihat cluster. Another positive case was reported from West Jaintia Hills.
The total number of active cases has shot up to 640 out of which East Khasi Hills alone accounts for 498 cases (BSF-194, Armed Forces-61 and others-243). Ri Bhoi accounts for 70 cases, West Garo Hills has 29 cases, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills have 17 active cases each, West Khasi Hills has five while South West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills have two cases each.
Six patients including five civilians and one BSF personnel also recovered in the state taking the total number of recoveries to 345.
18 micro-containment zones in city
The DHS informed that the there are 18 micro-containment areas in the city except for the BSF camp at Umpling and Mawpat which are full fledged containment zones.
The state government had decided to adopt the strategy of micro-containment areas following the hardships faced by people as earlier large areas were declared as containment zones.