NEW DELHI, Jan 19: The Union Health Ministry has voiced concern over the spike in Omicron cases in Meghalaya and advised the state to not only ramp up COVID-19 testing but also impose more local restrictions.
According to a data from the Union Health Ministry, Meghalaya has become the only state to witness such a surge in Omicron in the last few days. So far, Meghalaya has reported 75 Omicron cases out of which only 10 have recovered.
“It’s a matter of concern that Meghalaya has been detecting a rapid surge in Omicron cases. It is even a point that Meghalaya draws individuals with its tourism hotspots. In such a case, when cases of Omicron are growing, there is every chance that the variant may transmit to the individuals visiting the state,” said Dr Girdhar Gyani, Director-General of healthcare providers.
The Union Health Ministry has also asked other Northeastern states to ramp up COVID-19 testing before the COVID-19 situation takes a turn for worse.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had virtually chaired a discussion with health secretaries of all the Northeastern states.
268 fresh cases in state
Meghalaya on Wednesday logged 268 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the state’s tally of active cases to 1,444.
A total of 142 people recovered from the viral infection during the day.
So far, 1,492 people have succumbed to the virus.
The total confirmed cases and total recoveries stand at 87,075 and 84,139 respectively.
