SHILLONG, April 28: Principal Secretary, Health, Sampath Kumar on Wednesday said the spread of COVID-19 infection cannot be slowed down unless the present 1.5 per cent reproduction rate of the virus is brought down to below 1 per cent.
“Currently, the reproduction rate of coronavirus is over 1.5 per cent. This means if a person gets infected, it will be transmitted to 1.5 per cent people. So, unless the reproduction rate is reduced to below 1 per cent, we cannot slow it down,” he said.
According to him, the current positivity rate of confirmatory RT-PCR tests is 17.5 per cent which is also very high.
Stating that an effective way to slow down the coronavirus infection is stopping the movement and intermingling of people, Kumar said, “Gathering helps spread this virus. So, whenever there are a large number of cases, we need to take containment measures”.
He said the containment strategy is important and people must avoid public gathering and indoor meetings.
The current COVID strain or variant is very infectious, affecting both young and old. This important factor needs to be taken into consideration, he said.
Pointing out that the state has vast rural areas, Kumar said, “Unless we contain the disease in rural areas, we will not be able to stop it from going to other parts”.
“Mask is most essential and everyone must wear it,” he said.
Talking about the hassles faced by people at the Umling check gate, Kumar said, “The situation is now much better. There is an online system where people can check traffic there”.
He said given that a large number of the cases are coming up in various parts of the country, a lot of Shillong residents are returning home and there is a huge rush.
“Some steps have been taken by the Ri Bhoi DC to ease out the pressure. Presently, it has been solved,” Kumar added.
