SHILLONG, May 7: The COVID situation in East Khasi Hills (EKH) is turning for the worse with each passing day and the rising number of new cases have more or less confirmed the community spread in the district.
District Surveillance Officer, Dr Robert Marak on Friday informed that one out of every eight persons in the district, had been tested positive
It may be mentioned that caseload East Khasi Hills district at the moment is more than 60 per cent of the total caseload in the state
According to Marak, on an average 180 cases were reported on a day in the district including which average 54 symptomatic cases and 5 serious cases.
There are 654 beds in the district for Covid care and out of those 366 have been occupied while rest 298 are available as on May 6.
” We are at war with an unseen enemy,” he said.
Additional DM&HO, Dr Diengdoh said that the trend of deaths is that deaths are occurring more among elderly and people with co-morbidities even as she added that this year deaths are also occurring in the age group which has no comorbid condition.
It was also informed that out of 1801 persons, who have contracted virus, 152 received first dose of vaccine while 63 received both doses of vaccine. She added that one person who had taken the first shot of the vaccine, died on Friday. He took the first dose on April 23.
Asserting that the first dose does not give full protection, she, however, added that two elderly persons above the age of 70 years who were fully vaccinated, have been discharged from the Hospital after testing positive.
Dr Manoj Basaiawmoit, District Medical and Health Officer, said that whenever a person is tested positive, they should not panic but rather isolate and monitor their symptoms.
Earlier, the other officials of the Health Department feared that there could be more of asymptomatic cases in rural areas and it was time that people should not take things lightly.
The East Khasi Hills district health team as on date conducts around 1200 tests per day even as, it was informed, that now huge chunk of returnees have not been testing positive.
The official also stated that cases are increasing even in rural areas of the district.
East Khasi Deputy Commissioner Isawanda Laloo also stressed on the need for people to come out for vaccination saying 70- 90 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity
She also said that the public have supported the lockdown call and the administration is augmenting it’s resources through the placement of orders for oxygen and other requirements.