MAWKYRWAT/NONGSTOIN, May 17: In view of the spiraling cases of COVID-19 in the district, South West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner C Kharkongor imposed lockdown in the entire district with effect from 5 am of May 22 till 5 am of May 24.
All political, public, social and religious gatherings are prohibited until further orders. Funeral gathering will be restricted to 15 persons with prior permission from the Deputy Commissioner. The DC also informed that all markets including weekly market will remain closed during the period of lockdown and only shops selling essential commodities in different localities will be allowed to open till 6 PM. Non-essential movement is also restricted during the period. However, emergency and essential services are exempted.
Containment zone
In a separate order, the DC declared the houses and compounds of eight families from Kyntoit Larem Nah, Mawlangwir village, as containment zone after positive cases/high-risk contacts were detected in the area.
These include the houses and compounds of Moonlightstar Snaitang, Peacefully Wanniang, Banrilang Wanniang, Lucksidora Wanniang, DesimoraWanniang, Plentiful Wanniang, Wandakyrmen Wanniang and Maiancy Wanniang.
WKH dist administration meets to assess situation
West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner T Lyngwa, on Monday, convened a meeting a meeting with the Health and other line departments involved in combating COVID-19, at the conference hall of the DC’s office here.
In the meeting, the administration deliberated on the need to set up isolation centres in rural areas to avid overcrowding at CHCs and PHCs in the district. The meeting also banked on villagers’ isolation centres or corona care centres.
It also discussed in detail about the handling of COVID patients and disposing of bodies by the squad. Officials at the meeting spoke about the need for every locality or village to have a community ambulance or vehicle for transportation of patients so as to ensure speedy for people.
The meeting also discussed at length the ways and means, Dos and Don’ts, protocols and SOP issued by the Health department.
Meanwhile, the district administration of West Khasi Hills, in a communiqué, has directed the citizens to consider themselves as asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 and follow COVID-appropriate behavior at all times pointing out at a recent report in which public health experts stated that actual number of COVID-19 cases in the state could be up to 25 times the numbers recorded and claimed that since many cases are asymptomatic, a number of people may be silent carriers spreading the virus within communities and families.
The DC said that wearing of face mask should be strictly followed even in one’s home in the next 14 days, complete home isolation is to be observed by citizens, and no inter-house visits are permitted, especially in close neighbourhood, shopping and selling of essential commodities are permitted to open in the localities and only one member per household is allowed to purchase of essentials.
The Deputy Commissioner of West Khasi Hills also stated that people who have breached the mask protocol at any time when interacting with others and not their family, or those who have moved in crowded spaces must take steps to stringently wear, practice hand hygiene and distance themselves from other family members.
