Meghalaya: 82 more tests COVID-19 positive, tally at 1,374

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 16, 2020

The state has reported the highest single-day spike with 82 persons tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday, taking the total active cases up to 693, while 79 more persons have recovered from the viral infection, totalling recoveries to 675. 

Director of Health Services (MI), Dr Aman War said that twenty, including three ILIs (influenza like illnesses), two high risk contacts of ILIs, five Border Security Force (BSF) troopers, one police, one armed force personnel, three high risk contacts of Rilbong case, two high risk contacts of Shillong Civil Hospital case, one returnee from Punjab, one CRPF personnel and one from Lower Mawprem, were from East Khasi Hills district. 

He said forty-eight new cases including thirty-nine BSF troopers and nine civilians from a random sampling at Tikrikilla market, were detected in West Garo Hills while fourteen cases were from Ri Bhoi of which eight are high risk contacts of positive cases working near the border with Assam and five are high risk contacts of positive cases at Rani Anti-Dacoity camp at Jirang.

Dr War further informed that 75, including two doctors – Dr T Rymbai of Bethany Hospital, Shillong and a senior doctor of Shillong Civil Hospital, 49 civilians, 21 BSF troopers and 3 armed force personnel recovered in East Khasi Hills while another 3 in Ri Bhoi and 1 in West Jaintia Hills. 

With 383 (242 civilians, 71 BSF and 70 armed forces personnel), East Khasi Hills is the most affected district in the state followed by West Garo Hills with 183 cases and 100 in Ri Bhoi. 

Asked about the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in West Garo Hills, the senior medical official said that most of the civilians who had tested positive for the virus had gone to Assam for Eid and all have been quarantined.

He said the three ILI cases include a shopkeeper at Anjalee, who are residents of Mawkapiah, Mawpat and Lawsohtun.

In the other districts, North Garo Hills has eight cases, five each in West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills, three each in West Khasi Hills and South West Garo Hills, two in South Garo Hills and one in South West Khasi Hills. 

The state recorded 1,374 positive COVID-19 cases that include 693 active, six deaths and 675 recoveries so far from the viral infection.