After a major spike in which 55 persons tested positive in Meghalaya during the past 24 hours, the Government has marked the BSF headquarters at Umpling as a containment zone. Meanwhile, the NEIGRIHMS here has also been shut down temporarily.
With the spike, the total active cases in the State have surged to 121. Most of these reported cases are from the BSF Frontier headquarters.
Apart from declaring the BSF headquarters as a containment zone, random testing will be conducted in areas in its vicinity. These areas include Rynjah, Nongmynsong and Mawpat village. The Health Department will hold discussions with the local heads of these villages tomorrow for the smooth conduct of the random tests.
“The situation is very grim and so last night the State Government declared BSF the headquarters here as a containment zone. Moreover, we will be conducting the random tests immediately,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said.
On the other hand, the NEIGRIHMS has been shut down temporarily from Thursday after a patient in the hospital tested positive. The patient underwent a test on July 4, but the result was negative. However, on June 9, after the patient developed symptoms, his samples were tested again and the result was positive this time.
Since the patient was admitted to the hospital and had come in contact with many people, health staff and doctors, the hospital has been shut down temporarily.
Tynsong said that three departments – Orthopaedics, Radiology and OPD – were shut down initially. Now the hospital has been shut down for necessary sanitization.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Government today received inquiry reports on a marriage ceremony held recently at a resort in Khanapara, Guwahati after which two attendees had tested positive. The reports were received from the deputy commissioners of East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts.
Based on the findings of the reports, the State Government has directed the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner to file FIRs against 41 persons for “violation of SOPs and health protocols”.
Tynsong refused to give further details about the reports and evaded questions as to why permission to hold an inter-State marriage ceremony was granted by officials in the first instance.
Questions are also being raised about vigilance on the highway along the inter-State border and whether any official had checked the huge marriage party which had left the State capital and travelled all the way to Guwahati.
Tynsong refused to give clear answers on the apparent “lapses” on the part of the Government, but reiterated that the Government would maintain transparency.
