SHILLONG, May 7: The COVID situation in the East Khasi Hills district is getting worse with each passing day.
District Surveillance Officer, Robert R. Marak on Friday said one out of eight persons is testing COVID-19 positive in the district.
East Khasi Hills district constitutes more than 60% of the total cases in the state.
Dr Marak said an average of 180 cases is being reported every day. Of these, symptomatic cases are averaging 54 and serious cases five.
Hospitals in the district have 654 beds and 366 of them have been occupied as of May 6. “We are at war with an unseen enemy,” he said.
A.M.R. Diengdoh, the additional District Medical and Health Officer, said the deaths have largely occurred among the elderly and people with co-morbidities.
She said that out of 1,801 people who have contracted the novel coronavirus, 8% were vaccinated. A person who had taken the first shot on April 23, died on Friday. The figures are from the latest IDSP data, she added.
Pointing out that the first dose does not give full protection, Dr Diengdoh said two fully vaccinated people aged more than 70 years were discharged from the hospital after complete recovery from COVID-19. She also informed that none of the positive cases, who had taken the vaccination, had any serious medical condition.
DM&HO Manoj R. Basaiawmoit said a person who tests positive should not panic and isolate and monitor his or her symptoms.
Other health officials said the number of asymptomatic cases could be more in the rural areas and it was time for people to not take things lightly.
The East Khasi Hills district health team has been conducting about 1,200 tests per day despite being informed that most returnees are not testing positive.
East Khasi Deputy Commissioner Isawanda Laloo stressed the need for people to get vaccinated. She said 70-90% of the population needs to be vaccinated for achieving herd immunity.
She also said that the people have supported the lockdown call and the administration is augmenting its resources through the placement of orders for oxygen and other requirements.
