COVID-19 spike continues in Meghalaya, 12 fatalities, 627 cases

Shillong: Meghalaya on Friday recorded 627 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day surge since the onset of the pandemic, setting an unprecedented record during the second wave.
With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases now stands at 22, 203, while the number of active cases currently stands at 4,014 in the State.
The State also reported 12 new deaths, mounting the COVID-19 death toll in Meghalaya to 280, with a fatality rate of 1.261 per cent as on date.
With 327 more recoveries from the infection, the total number of recovered patients has added up to 17, 909 on Friday.
Out of the 12 new fatalities, Director Health Services (MI) Dr. Aman War said 11 were registered in the East Khasi Hills district and one fatality in West Garo Hills district.
He said the new COVID-19 cases detected included 361 in East Khasi Hills district, 101 in Ri-Bhoi district, 55 in West Jaintia Hills district, 38 in West Garo Hills district, 24 in West Khasi Hills district, 23 in South West Garo Hills district, 18 in East Jaintia Hills district, five in East Garo Hills district and one each in South West Khasi Hills district and North Garo Hills district.
The East Khasi Hills, which includes state capital Shillong, is the most COVID-19 affected district in Meghalaya with 2,251 active cases and 237 fatalities.
The State government extended the ongoing lockdown to May 24 in East Khasi Hills district to break the transmission chain, while night curfew continued throughout the State, even as entry of tourists from outside has been halted since April 23 last.
The second most COVID-19-hit district is Ri-Bhoi with 568 active cases, followed by West Garo Hills district with 352, West Jaintia Hills district with 198, East Jaintia Hills district with 167, South West Garo Hills district with 154, West Khasi Hills district with 138, South Garo Hills district with 64, East Garo Hills district with 63, North Garo Hills district with 42 and South West Khasi Hills district with 17 cases.
The senior medical official said 778 COVID-19 patients are currently admitted in institutional quarantine centres while 3,236 others are in home quarantine and isolation across the State.
Dr. War also informed that of the new recoveries from the viral infection recorded on Friday includes 221 in East Khasi Hills district, 37 in West Garo Hills district, 34 in Ri-Bhoi district, 10 in West Khasi Hills district, eight in East Jaintia Hills district, seven in North Garo Hills district, six in South West Garo Hills district, three in West Jaintia Hills and one in South West Khasi Hills district.
Of the the 5, 01,466 persons whose swab samples were sent for testing, the medical official said 4, 79,263 persons have tested negative for the virus.
On the other hand, vaccination for the 18 to 44 age group begun in the State on Friday.
Meanwhile, Dr. War informed that 27,838 healthcare workers have received the first dose of Covishield and 19,345 have received the second dose, 70,980 frontline workers got the first shot of the vaccine and 26,330 got the second shot, while 2,14,232 persons from among the general public were inoculated with the first dose and 27,724 were fully vaccinated with the second dose of the vaccine against COVID-19.