Shillong: Meghalaya on Thursday recorded 1,183 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since the onset of the pandemic in April last year, pushing the number of active cases up to 6,477, health officials said.
The State also reported 10 new Coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24-hours, mounting the death toll to 389, while the number of recovered patients has gone up to 20,061 with 465 patients declared recovered from the viral infection as on Wednesday.
Terming the COVID-19 situation in the State as “unprecedented”, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Alexander Laloo Hek said, “it is likely to become worse”, and urged the citizens to extend their cooperation with the government to stem the COVID-19 infection.
East Khasi Hills, which includes the State capital Shillong, is the worst-hit Coronavirus district in Meghalaya with 3,755 active cases and 324 deaths as on date.
A total lockdown and total curfew has been imposed for the next ten days to break the transmission chain in East Khasi Hills district, even as hospitals are overwhelmed in the district, health officials said.
“The next ten days is very crucial for all of us and we should isolate ourselves during this lockdown period in our efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve,” Hek told UNI.
“The government alone cannot win this war against this unknown enemy but we can defeat it only if the people cooperate with the government by strictly adhering to the guidelines issued by the government to contain the spread of the infection,” the health minister underscored.
Hek also voiced his appreciation to various social groups and the influential Dorbar Shnong (Village Council) in various localities for setting up Corona Care Centre for mild symptomatic COVID positive patients who need medical attention, or cannot stay at home.
Director Health Services (MI), Dr. Aman War informed that the 10 new fatalities reported in the past 24 hours, includes six in East Khasi Hills district and one death each in West Garo Hills district, South West Garo Hills district, North Garo Hills district and South Garo Hills district, health officials said
Out of the 1,183 new cases, Dr. War said East Khasi Hills district recorded the most with 656, 265 in Ri-Bhoi district, 90 in West Garo Hills district, 53 in West Jaintia Hills district and 26 each in South West Garo Hills district and West Khasi Hills district, 17 each in East Jaintia Hills district, North Garo Hills district and South Garo Hills district, nine in East Garo Hills district ad seven in South West Khasi Hills district.
The senior medical officer also informed that 1,168 COVID-19 patients are currently admitted in institutional quarantine centres while 5,309 others are in home quarantine and isolation across the State.
Of the 679 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals across the state, 104 are of A category, 247 of B Category and 264 of Category C, while 94 patients are of Category D who are in Intensive Care Units at the various hospitals across the State, Dr. War said.
