(Left to right) Nodal Officer, IDSP, Dr Nyan Kikon and Principal Director, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Vizolie Suokhrie during a press conference in Kohima on June 25.
• All local transmissions, no community transmission so far: Government
• Upper PWD Colony, Kohima declared as ‘containment area’
Morung Express News
Kohima | June 25
Five frontline workers involved in transporting returnees and manning front desk have tested positive for COVID-19.
Informing this during a press briefing this evening at the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Principal Director, Dr Vizolie Suokhrie said those tested positive includes four bus drivers from Kohima and Dimapur and a receptionist at Naga Hospital Authority, Kohima.
They are admitted in institutional quarantine and the resident area of the receptionist, Upper PWD Colony, Kohima has been declared as ‘containment area’. Dr. Suokhrie also informed that contact tracing has been completed and tests will be carried out.
Meanwhile, allaying the fear among the people, Nodal Officer for Integrated Disease and Surveillance Programme, Dr. Nyanthung Kikon said all the five positive cases are ‘local transmissions’ as they have contracted through contact with high risk people (returnees).
Asserting that “this is not community transmission” he explained that “community transmission is when the source of infection cannot be ascertained.”
Other sources told The Morung Express that the four frontline bus drivers were in quarantine when their samples were taken. The results of two were received on June 25 and the other two today. One was a government driver and the other three were private bus drivers requisitioned for COVID-19 duty.
Further downplaying fears of community transmission, one official said that as dictated by the COVID-19 protocol, they went into Institutional Quarantine after serving their quota of duty in the frontline.
Contact tracing was on but the officials declined to cite numbers stating that figure will change as tracing progresses.
Nagaland has maximum testing facilities
Among the NE states, Dr. Suokhrie said Nagaland has the maximum testing facilities available currently with Truenat testing machines in all the districts and an activated BSL-3 at Kohima. This will be strengthened by the BSL-2 lab in Dimapur set to be activated on June 27.
He informed that the State has been able to activate more COVID Care Centers (CCCs).
“At one point time, Dimapur and Kohima appeared to be unmanageable because initially, we kept all the returnees and then sent to various districts, but now decongestion has started,” he said.
‘Have to discipline unruly people’
On the use of force by the uniformed personnel in Ganeshnagar quarantine center, Dr. Suokhrie said “sometimes force has to be applied to discipline unruly people.”
“If we don’t discipline them, the whole community is at risk” he reasoned and pointed out that the attitudinal behaviours’ exhibited by some returnees are punishable under the Nagaland State Disaster Management Act and the Nagaland Epidemic Act.
Most of the positive cases are from among the returnees, said Dr. Suokhrie and observed that the spikes from among the returnees is due to non-compliance of social distancing and hygiene etiquette.
On reopening schools & religious places
Stressing on the need to continue maintaining the lockdown measures as it is, Dr Suokhrie said that the department will revisit the lockdown issue and discuss with the government.
On seeking opinion on reopening of schools and religious places, he said “For me I don’t want to encourage the opening of schools and religious places. Because if we are unable able to maintain social distancing, immediate opening of all these might invite more problems.”
“For me if I am asked personally I don’t encourage this to be opened right now,” he said.
Health Dept to research ‘genetic resistance’
With almost all the cases in Nagaland asymptomatic and a high recovery rate, Dr. Suokhrie informed that the Health Department is planning to research ‘genetic resistance’, and ‘socio-behavioural studies among the returnees and frontline workers.’
The high rate recovery in the state, he pointed out was because most of the positive cases are aged between 20-40 years, with strong immunity and no co-morbidity ailments. Amongst the positive cases, he informed that although 3-4 persons were above the age of 50 years, they have recovered well without any further complications.
On the treatment of positive patients, Dr. Suokhrie informed that no specific medicines are being administered, but Vitamin-C and Zinc tablet to boost their immunity.
