Community transmission of COVID-19 in Ri Bhoi not rule out

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 17, 2020

Community spread of COVID-19 is suspected to have taken place in areas of Byrnihat to Khanapara in Ri Bhoi District along the inter-state border with Assam, state health officials said on Friday.

“We suspect that there is a spread in areas of Byrnihat to Khanapara,” Director of Health Services (MI) Dr Aman War told reporters.

He said that contact tracing is going on in full swing and the areas continue to be under curfew.

It may be mentioned here that the state government had ordered the health department to go for random testing for COVID-19 in areas from Byrnihat to Khanapara.

A total of 31 people have been tested positive for coronavirus as on Friday. He said the five new cases reported are high risk contacts of the index patient from Khanapara.

Asked, Dr War said that the government is likely to declare the areas as containment zone.

On the random testing in the areas adjacent to the BSF Frontier Headquarter, Umpling, the DHS said that antigen test was conducted on 1001 persons from Nongmynsong and all were found to be negative.

“From among the 547 persons tested in Umpling, 1 came out positive,” he said.