Shillong: Amid the the rising cases of Covid-19 across the Meghalaya, anti-vaccination protesters on Saturday held a march here in this state capital of Meghalaya against alleged forced vaccination by the government.
On the other hand, Meghalaya recorded the highest single day spike in Covid-19 cases so far into the New Year at 406 on Saturday, raising the number of active cases to 2,002, while one death due to the viral disease mounted the number of fatalities to 1,496.
The State also reported 185 more cases of recoveries which mounted the number of recovered cases to 84,643 in the State which has registered 88,141 confirmed cases so far.
Director Health Services (MI), Dr. Aman War said East Khasi Hills, which includes state capital Shillong, the most pandemic hit district recorded 304 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, with the district now having 1,377 active cases and 1,018 deaths.
The anti-vaccination protesters took out the march from Motphran via State Secretariat and culminated at Khyndai Lad against alleged forced vaccination by the State Government.
Awakening India Movement (AIM) Chairman Banshai Marbaniang who led the protest said that they
had to hit the streets as the the State government is trying to take away their fundamental rights by forcing vaccination, mandatory masking and testing and discriminating based on vaccine status.
“If people are not vaccinating they are harrassed by being forced to test every ten days and that putting up of vaccination status is another way of discriminating those who has not vaccinated , he said, adding that his organisation would take th protest to other parts of the state.
With the sudden spurt of Covid-19 cases, the State government will review the situation arising out of rising cases of Omicron variant.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said that the government has ruled out lockdown in the State following the spurt of new cases.
