COVID-19: Meghalaya tally goes up to 33 with 3 more new cases

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 3, 2020

Three more persons have been tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total number of active cases in the state to 19.

West Jaintia Hills district also registered its first COVID-19 case after a student who has recently returned from Uttar Pradesh was tested positive. The other two students are from East Khasi Hills district.

“A resident of Meghalaya who had returned from Agraa, Uttar Pradesh has tested positive for COVID-19. Person is under quarrantine in Jowai, West Jaintia Hills District,” Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said in his Twitter handle.

Later, the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong informed said, “Another two returnees from Goa and Maharashtra have been found to be positive and both are from East Khasi Hills. Now, there are 19 active cases (1 West Jaintia Hills, 8 East Khasi Hills and 10 Garo Hills) in Meghalaya.”

Tynsong said the number of COVID-19 cases has also increased to 33 which include 1 deceased and 13 who have fully recovered from the contagious disease.

According to him, both the students are already under quarantine and immediately they will also be shifted to the Corona care centre this evening.

Urging the public not to panic, Tynsong said that the government already has a mechanism in place to ensure all returnees from different parts of the country are not allowed to meet their family members or have any public contact.

“We are not allowing them to return to their respective places without getting the RT-PCR test results. However, for those tested negative, they are being sent to community quarantine centres in their respective villages while positive cases are admitted in COVID-19 hospitals,” he added.

Tynsong said that the state is still safe as community transmission is not there adding all active cases are related to returnees. “Therefore, we earnestly request the citizens of the state to strictly follow protocols issued by health department to protect themselves from the disease,” he said.

The deputy CM further informed that Bethany hospital has expressed its willingless to extend its services as COVID-19 hospital.

Meanwhile, Health Minister AL Hek has informed that a total of 9344 persons have been tested out of which 8993 were negative while test results for 320 are awaited.