Shillong: Meghalaya health minister Ampareen Lyngdoh stated on Thursday that the positivity rate of COVID-19 in the state is still under control, despite the rising number of cases in other parts of India.
There are currently 15 active cases in Meghalaya.
Lyngdoh emphasized that the government does not want to cause panic by unnecessarily alarming people, which could lead to chaos in the state.
However, Lyngdoh urged citizens to follow COVID-19 safety protocols. Additionally, the government is requesting individuals who have travelled from high-risk cities, such as Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and other areas with high positivity rates, to self-quarantine.
Lyngdoh acknowledged that there was a slight surge in West Garo hills, but it is now under control. There were five new cases reported today and two recoveries.
As Umroi airport is not very busy and currently has limited flights, except for flights from Delhi, the government does not want to raise alarm.
The health minister suggested that citizens should take responsibility and adhere to COVID-19 protocols to avoid causing inconvenience to the public. She emphasized that public participation helped contain the virus during the last phase of COVID-19 in Meghalaya. Therefore, she appealed to citizens to follow COVID-19 guidelines to control the spread of the virus.
The Meghalaya state government recently had an online interaction with the Union Minister of Health. During the interaction, the state health department highlighted to the Centre that Meghalaya is a low-resource state and requested assistance with vaccines.
However, the state government has not received a response from the Centre regarding this matter.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
The health minister emphasized that they will only activate emergency measures if the situation becomes alarming. As of now, citizens should follow COVID-19 safety protocols, such as wearing masks and refraining from going out if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
Regarding booster doses, Lyngdoh noted that many citizens have not yet received them. However, the state government is engaging with the Government of India to obtain more vaccines for this purpose. The health minister stated that they have not received any information regarding this yet.
Also Read | India logs 12,591 new Covid cases in a day, highest in around 8 months