Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 3
The CIHSR, Dimapur has remained shut after four of its employees tested positive on July 30. All contact tracing and testing have been initiated in line with Government guidelines, the management then informed in a release. On August 3, it emerged that more employees have tested positive, as per a screenshot of a purportedly confidential test message, which found its way on social media.
The message stated that the CIHSR was shut down after its billing staff tested positive. It did not specify when, only stating that around “25 of our staff are currently positive.” The condition of the staffers, who tested positive, was described as largely asymptomatic or mildly asymptomatic “with quick recoveries since they are young.” It added that the older staffers were being isolated at home.
It further stated that once they recover, the positive cases will be tested on August 14 and resume operations by August 17, tentatively. It added that the COVID-19 isolation ward was being managed by “recovering COVID staff.”
“We expect a very large number of staff to test positive in the next few days. This is despite the intensive precautions, drills and trainings conducted. If things work out well, then most of our staff will be fit to work without fear after two weeks and inspire confidence in patients,” it added.
CIHSR official confirms
This development was confirmed on Monday evening by a CIHSR official. The official (name withheld) told The Morung Express, “We do have positive patients and that is why we stopped because we want to arrest the further spread among the staff.” The official declined to comment on the exact number of positives detected as on August 3 evening, while only stating that contact tracing was in process.
According to him, the first case among the staff was detected on July 30. “If we are able to control (the spread), we want to resume operations as soon as possible. 2-3 weeks is the time when most positive cases recover. So, based on the existing research, we are expecting to resume by the 2nd or 3rd week of August.”
Only critically ill (non-COVID) in-patients on life support were admitted as on Monday.
