SHILLONG, June 16: Meghalaya on Thursday witnessed a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases with as many as 31 persons testing positive, most of them young sportspersons aged between 11 and 15 years.
They were preparing to attend the third phase of selection trials for induction in the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre on the NEHU campus, Shillong.
Out of the 31 minors who tested positive, 23 are from East Khasi Hills, four from Ri-Bhoi, three from South West Khasi Hills and one from West Khasi Hills.
This is the highest single-day spike reported since February 27. 36 positive cases were reported on that day.
The budding sportspersons had got themselves tested since SAI authorities had made it mandatory for all athletes to submit a negative RT-PCR test report at the time of registering for the trials for various disciplines like archery, athletics, boxing, football and judo under SAI’s residential and non-residential schemes.
When contacted, Joint Director of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), R Lyngdoh said the athletes were tested positive during the screening process and all of them are asymptomatic and under home isolation.
Asserting that there was no cause for panic, Dr Lyngdoh said people need to understand that COVID-19 was not over.
She urged citizens to follow all COVID-19 appropriate behaviour including wearing masks at all times, especially in public and crowded places.
The Health department issued an advisory that the pandemic is not over yet and there is a need to ensure complete vaccination of all eligible individuals including children of 12 years and above.
The state has been conducting Genomic Surveillance at Pasteur Institute on a routine basis to detect any new variant and to take prompt action. The details of such variants if any will be shared in due course of time, it added.
