SHILLONG: The state government, which is fighting against a surge in COVID-19 cases, seems to be ready for any eventuality at least as far as COVID equipment and PPE kits are concerned.
There has been no let-down insofar as the number of positive cases is concerned with the state recording another 53 new cases on Monday, but a review of the state’s COVID-19 equipment and gear stockpile reveals a positive trend.
As on August 7, the state has received 90,000 Rapid Diagnostic Test Antigen Kit out of which 44,850 units have been issued while the government has a balance of 45,150 kits.
Similarly, the state has received 2,56,273 PPEs out of which 1,81,641 have been issued while 74,632 are in stock.
The state also received 32 ventilators and all of those have been pressed into service.
Speaking on the matter, DHS (MI) Dr Aman War asserted that the government has enough stock of all the necessary equipment and gear and if there is any shortage, the department will immediately move to procure them.
As per the DHS, the state had received 17,80,000 3-ply masks out of which 12,00,400 have been issued and the department has more than 1,14,000 N95 masks in its stock.
The state also has a stockpile of around 2,08,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets and so far around 26,000 tablets have been issued.
Meanwhile, 53 new positive cases were reported in the state on Monday, taking the total number of active cases to 611.
Dr War informed that 12 cases were reported in East Khasi Hills (Armed Force-1 and others-11). Out of the 12 cases, one is an attendant to a patient in Shillong Civil Hospital while another is an attendant at NEIGRIHMS. Besides, two staff nurse at NEIGRIHMS, one tourist taxi driver, four returnees and two high risk contacts of a positive case were also tested positive.
The tourist taxi driver is registered with the Transport department and travels to and from Shillong to Assam to ferry people.
When asked about the reasons for closing down the state dispensary at Rynjah, Dr War said that a patient attendant from NEIGRIHMS had visited the dispensary.
He added that contact tracing has been done and the dispensary staff have been identified as high risk contacts.
“We are doing the testing of all the staff. If all of them are found negative then the dispensary will be re-open after sanitisation,” the DHS said.
In Ri Bhoi, one Armed Force personnel and a person who had come to Nongpoh Civil Hospital for treatment were tested positive on Monday.
In West Garo Hills, 39 cases were reported including 29 from BSF and 10 others (nine returnees and one contact of a positive case from North Garo Hills).
The state now has 611 active cases including 428 in East Khasi Hills (BSF-91, others-268 and Armed Forces-69). West Khasi Hills has six cases, Ri Bhoi has 85, West Jaintia Hills-15, East Jaintia Hills-6, West Garo Hills-65 while South West Garo Hills, South Garo Hills and North Garo Hills have two cases each.
Eight people recovered on Monday in East Khasi Hills and West Garo Hills taking the total number of recoveries to 498.
Meanwhile, as many as 41,734 samples have been sent for testing out of which 39,885 and results of 834 samples are awaited. Till Monday, 26,766 people have returned back to the state.
Contacts tested in SWKH
The South West Khasi Hills Health department on Monday conducted RT-PCR and TrueNAT tests on 32 primary and high risk contacts of the COVID-19 patients who visited Rangthong PHC and Mawkyrwat market recently.
District Surveillance Officer, Dr W. Nary informed that the samples have been sent to Pasteur Institute, Shillong.
Three recoveries in WGH
Three COVID-19 patients were discharged from the corona care centre, Nongstoin on Monday after they recovered.
The three included a resident of Mawngap village under Mawshynrut Civil Sub Division who worked as a handyman of the FCI truck, a police personnel from North Garo Hills posted at Sohpian, Nongstoin and a staff nurse who was a resident of Pyndengrei village.
