Shillong: The COVID-19 graph has been continuously on the rise in Meghalaya with 693 new cases adding up to 4,708 active cases, five deaths raising the fatality figure to 1,014, even as 519 more recoveries from the viral infection surged the number of recovered cases to 54,875 on Saturday in the State, which has registered 60,597 confirmed cases till date.
All the five deaths due to COVID-19 complications recorded on Saturday were in the most affected district of East Khasi Hills, which includes state capital Shillong with 1612 active positive cases and 731 fatalities so far, followed by West Garo Hills district with 950 active cases and 51 deaths, Ri-Bhoi district with 567 active cases and 42 deaths, West Jaintia Hills district with 498 active cases and 96 deaths and West Khasi Hills district with 271 active cases and 25 deaths, while the six other districts had less than 200 active cases each as per the latest official count.
“As the number of cases and deaths in the district is increasing, the general public is strongly urged to not ignore any signs and symptoms of COVID-19 but to report symptoms and get tested at the earliest so that proper care can be advised and monitoring can be done,” East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, Isawanda Laloo said, informing that an overwhelming majority of the COVID-19 related deaths were reported from rural areas, that of persons who were not vaccinated and a few who were partially inoculated with the first dose.
“The data that is emerging everyday strongly indicates that those who are vaccinated, even if infected, have a much lower chance of developing serious symptoms, requiring hospitalization and of dying due to the disease. Therefore it is urged that all eligible citizens get vaccinated without further delay,” the Deputy Commissioner appealed.
As per data released by the National Health Mission, Meghalaya on Saturday, 31,639 health care workers have taken the first shot of the vaccine against COVID-19 and 21,713 have got the second jab, 97,165 front-line workers took the first dose and 33,635 got the second dose, while 6,98,551persons from among the general public were inoculated with the first dose and 1,03,035 were fully vaccinated with the second dose across the state. Till Saturday, 8,06,938 persons have been tested for COVID-19 across the State, of whom, 7,46,341 were tested negative for the virus.
