SHILLONG: State government seems to have stepped on the gas after fears of community spread of COVID virus has rattled life in capital town.
On Sunday, a slew of pre-emptive measures were announced on Sunday. Notable among them are declaration of a big chunk of Jail Road area as containment zone. Beginning from the Jail Road petrol pump the main thoroughfare leading beyond the District Jail upto Hotel Polo Towers were declared as containment zone for three days.
In another development, the East Khasi Hills district administration has notified functioning of Iewduh (Bara Bazar) under strict regulations. In all 1245 identified shops have been permitted to operate three days a week between 8 am and 6 pm.
In a separate notification, the East Khasi Hills DC has notified promulgation of curfew in the entire town from 9 pm to 5 am daily from September 7 to September 14.
Another notification has put a ban on interstate movement in the entire district. The order bans unregulated use of market places in the entire district.
The number of COVID infection in the state, meanwhile, has crossed the 3,000-mark with the detection of 88 new cases while the death toll went up to 16 with another casualty on Sunday.
59-year-old Dinabandhu Roy, resident of Pynthorumkhrah, was admitted at Nazareth Hospital at 10.30 am on Sunday and died three hours later.
DHS (MI) Dr Aman War informed that Roy was suffering from Diabetes Mellitus with Myocardial Infarction with COVID-19 and expired at 1:15 pm.
Among the 88 new cases, East Khasi Hills reported 35 (armed forces/paramilitary forces- 15, others- 20), while West Garo Hills reported 39 cases, which were detected on Saturday and added to the tally on Sunday.
North Garo Hills and South Garo Hills reported four cases each; East Jaintia Hills reported three, while Ri Bhoi, West Jaintia Hill and South West Garo Hills reported one case each.
The total confirmed cases stood at 3005 while the active cases stood at 1433. With 29 more on Sunday, the number of recoveries stood at 1556.
Trucker found positive, cops under quarantine
Four police personnel of the Phramer Traffic Cell in West Jaintia Hills have been put under quarantine after they assisted truck driver who had met with an accident and was later tested positive for COVID-19.
The incident occurred when a truck carrying cement from Amrit Cement hit a vehicle at Ialong village in West Jaintia Hills. While occupants of the second vehicle tested negative during their medical examination, the trucker was found positive.
Four police personnel who had assisted the driver were put under quarantine as per the COVID SOP.
12 including two kids
test positive in WGH
12 new cases were detected in Tura and the nearby Rongram Market, including two children. One of them is only 10 months old.
Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh on Sunday evening announced that the district now has 187 active cases. Rongram market, Lower Babupara and Lower Dobasipara localities of Tura have been declared containment zones.
“Tracing and testing will be done in coordination with market and locality development committees,” said Singh.