COVID-19 cases in Meghalaya rises to 12

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 1, 2020

The total number of COVID-19 active cases has gone up to 12 on Tuesday after two more Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have been tested positive in the state.

“Two more BSF personnel who are high risk contacts of a patient have been tested positive for coronavirus in Shillong. With this, the state now has a total of 12 active cases,” Health Minister AL Hek told reporters.

“Of the two, one is from the BSF camp while the other is staying outside,” he said while informing that the area outside the camp has also been declared as containment area.

According to him, altogether five BSF personnel have been tested positive in the state. A total of 87 have been identified as high risk contacts of the new cases.

Of the 55 positive cases recorded in the state, 42 have already recovered while 1 died.

Hek informed a total of 19,646 samples have been sent for testing out of which 19,404 were found to be negative while test results of 189 are awaited.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong appealed to the citizens not to be afrain as there is no community spread in the state.

“Further, we have also had meetings with the DIG, BSF and other paramilitary forces and they are committed to take care of their own employees and that all SOPs and protocols are strictly adhered to,” he said.

On the other hand, Tynsong however said that the state government has already put necessary mechanisms in place to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

“In other states, they quickly take samples for testing without proper plan to control the spread but here we already have mechanisms in place right from border line,” he said.

Asked if the government would consider conducting random testing in the state, the deputy chief minister however said decision will be taken based on the inputs received from the deputy commissioners and district surveillance committees.

“If such steps are required, government is ready to do that and will leave no stone unturned,” he said.

Tynsong also informed that the state government has already written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to defer all proposed transfers of central government employees to the state in view of the COVID-19 situation.

Meanwhile, a total of 19,231 people stranded in the different parts of the country have returned to the state as on Wednesday.