Meghalaya: Two more dies of COVID-19, death toll rises to 90

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 1, 2020

Two more persons have died due to COVID-19, taking the death toll in the state to 90 on Sunday. 

65-year-old Kerdimand Shangdiar, who had tested positive on October 30,  was declared dead at his home at Nongmynsong, Umkdait on Saturday morning, after he collapsed in the toilet, Director of Health Services (MI), Dr Aman War said.

Another person, Pradeep Dhar (57) of Proper Hawakhana, Tura in West Garo Hills district was also declared dead at the Tura Christian hospital at 6.30 am on Saturday, he said. 

He said Dhar came to the hospital at 5.45 am and collapsed in the screening area immediately after nasal swab was collected for screening of COVID.

“The rapid antigen kit test done on the patient was negative. But since the attendants gave a history of fever with cough and cold, another nasopharyngeal swab was preserved for TruNAT test at Tura civil hospital and the report came out positive for COVID-19. Therefore, the cause of death was due to COVID-19,” Dr War said.

The state has also recorded 155 new positive cases and recovery of 117 COVID-19 paitents on Sunday.

The new cases include 81 from Ri Bhoi district, 41 East Khasi Hills district, 21 West Garo Hills district, 4 East Jaintia Hills district, 4 West Jaintia Hills district, 2 East Garo Hills district and 2 South West Garo Hills district.  

Dr War said as many as 70 police personnel and 2 armed forces personnel have contracted the virus in Ri Bhoi.

Of 117 recovered COVID patients, Dr War said, 97 are from East Khasi Hills, 8 West Garo Hiills, 6 West Jaintia Hills, 4 Ri Bhoi and 2 North Garo Hills. 

The state has detected a total of 9,607 COVID-19 out of which 1,055 are active cases, 8,462 recovered and 90 deaths.

East Khasi Hills district tops the list of districts in positive cases with 381 infections, that include 29 Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces and 352 civilians, followed by Ri Bhoi 270 and West Garo Hills 162.

In the other districts, 70 cases in West Jaintia Hills, 57 in East Garo Hills, 51 in West Khasi Hills, 22 in East Jaintia Hills, 16 in North Garo Hills, 17 in South Garo Hills, 6 in South West Garo Hills and 3 in South West Khasi Hills.