SHILLONG, Dec 30: COVID-19 hogged the headlines in the year 2020, and along with the rest of the country and world, Meghalaya too bore the brunt of the pandemic after preventing the outbreak in the initial days.
The fear of the virus was first felt in the capital city when the details of a person suspected to have been infected and admitted to NEIGRIHMS got leaked on social media. However, the person tested negative later.
Subsequently, as the fears of the virus gripped the state, the government gradually restricted the economic activities while schools and colleges were closed down as a precautionary measure.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister announced a “Janta Curfew” on March 22 and Shillong responded to the call. Thereafter, the city was put under lockdown.
Keeping in view the volatile situation, the state government ordered for curfew in the East Khasi Hills district to enforce quarantine and concerns about the virus kept growing in the state after 13 cases were reported in neighbouring Assam.
However, the fears of the people grew when Dr John L. Sailo Ryntathiang, a prominent doctor and the founder of Shillong’s Bethany Hospital, was diagnosed as the first COVID-19 positive patient in the state in April.
The doctor passed away after a few days even as the government faced several challenges as the residents of Jhalupara had opposed his burial at the electric crematorium. Later, his funeral took place at Riatsamthiah Presbyterian cemetery
The state government, even after months, could not locate the actual source of the infection.
The gravity of the COVID situation even forced the MDA and Opposition to discuss ways and means to reduce the suffering of the common people who were indoors for days without any livelihood and employment opportunities.
Another challenge for the state government was to bring back thousands of citizens of Meghalaya who were stranded across the country. Special trains and buses were later arranged and thousands made their way back home after following the laid down norms
Later, several cases of COVID-19 were reported in the capital city so much so that East Khasi Hills District was even given the tag of a red zone.
Some returnees by trains were also attacked in Bihar while they were on their way back to the state.
But the COVID situation in the city took an ugly turn in July when a marriage party from Shillong violated several rules and attended a marriage ceremony in a resort at Khanapara in Guwahati.
Later, several of them tested positive. The government even filed FIRs against the people for violating norms.
Positive cases kept on increasing thereafter and while government had given started relaxing curbs by this time, a sudden surge in cases once again forced the imposition of a 48-hour lockdown of the capital city.
The cases kept increasing, and along with it, the number of containment zones. But the government continued to be on denial mode as far as the community spread of the virus was concerned.
Realising the gravity of the situation, the government even started random testing of citizens throughout the state.
Later, while the cases were spiking up, the state began to relax the restrictions in accordance with the unlock policy of the Union government.
But while things improved, the state government kept Iewduh closed.
However, following intense pressure from the shopkeepers, the government finally allowed the re-opening of the market in June. Other economic activities resumed in a phased manner.
Later in the year, the government announced that it spent Rs 399 crore between February and September this year in its fight against COVID-19. The expense was questioned by many and as COVID was taking a toll on the state exchequer, the government decided charging people for COVID tests.
Students too suffered heavily because of the pandemic jeopardized as schools had to be shut even online teaching resumed. But many students did not have the resources and logistics to avail the facility.
However, as the government initiated the “unlock” process, the higher classes of schools in the state were partially allowed to function for doubt clearing sessions. As the situation improved further, students from Class VI to XII were allowed to attend the classes.
In the meantime, while thousands of common people got infected with the virus in the state, the pandemic did not spare the high and influential as many Cabinet ministers, including Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma tested positive for the virus.
By the end of the year, things improved with the number of COVID cases in the state finally coming down drastically. There was hope with several vaccine manufacturers developing their own vaccine.
While the vaccine for the virus is yet to be administered to the citizens of the state and the country, a mutant COVID-19 strain which has infected several people in the United Kingdom, has evoked fresh concern with the news of a few returnees to the state from UK of late.
But to the state’s relief, all the 12 returnees to the state from the United Kingdom tested negative for COVID-19 on December 28. As of now though, no case of the mutant COVID strain has been reported from the state, which however is still on its toes.