COVID-19: Nagaland registers highest single-day spike

69 new cases on June 22
 

Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 22

Nagaland recorded the highest single day spike of positive cases with 69 more persons testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning. 

The total number of positive cases now stands at 280 out of which 141 are recovered cases and 139 are active cases. There is no COVID-related death in the state so far.

According to Health and Family Welfare Minister, S Pangnyu Phom who announced the results on Twitter, out of the 69 new cases, 65 are from Peren quarantine centres (QCs), 3 from Dimapur QCs and 1 from Zunheboto QC.

“Out of 275 samples tested, 69 new cases of COVID-19 +ve have been reported. 65 patients from Peren QC, 3 from Dimapur QC & 1 from Zunheboto QC,” the Minister tweeted on Monday morning.

Monday’s positive case is the first to be reported from Zunheboto district. With this, 7 districts in Nagaland have so far reported one or more cases of COVID-19.

According to official updates, all the 139 active cases are asymptomatic and receiving medical care at the designated COVID-19 Hospitals. 

As per the distribution of the 280 cases by age, there are 4 cases between 0-17 years, 269 cases between 18-44 years, 5 cases between 45-64 years and 2 cases between 65-74 years. As per the distribution of gender, there are 195 males and 85 females.

 

57 from 1 Peren QC
Out of the 65 fresh cases reported today from Peren, one quarantine centre accounted 57 of it. 

According to Health officials, all the fresh cases from Peren were returnees from Chennai, who had initially tested negative while in quarantine in Dimapur. This has raised concerns of secondary transmission in the Quarantine Centres (QC) and calls for stricter implementation of Quarantine Protocols. 

The District Surveillance Officer, Peren, Dr Kevilhulie Meyase, informed that 57 (all male) of the 65 cases from the district were from JNV Jalukie QC, 5 (female) from ITI (New Peren) and 3 (male) from Government Polytechnic, New Peren. They are all in the age group of 19-25 years and are asymptomatic. 

While stating that the test reports of more samples were awaited, Dr Meyase added that the positive cases were out of 207 samples tested as a precautionary measure. 

For a lack of accommodation for positive patients in the district, he said that JNV Jalukie will become a COVID Care Centre, while those who tested negative at the erstwhile quarantine centre has been relocated to other facilities. The 8 other positive cases from the district were admitted to COVID Care Centre in Jalukie. 

Till June 21, Peren had 6 active cases— 4 from Delhi and 2 from Noida. Two other returnees from Chennai have been declared “recovered” but are still under observation. 

Dr Meyase did not rule out spread in the quarantine centres while stating that the chances of “cross infection” at the quarantine centres were likely. 

Queried on the chances of spread in the quarantine centres, the State Nodal Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Dr Nyan Kikon said that transmission must have occurred while in transit (from Chennai) and in the quarantine centres. “We are not defending the department and cannot put the blame entirely on the returnees. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out the disregard for quarantine protocols,” he said. He said that this aspect has been discussed and necessary instructions relayed to the quarantine centres. 

Another government doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern on the likelihood of transmission while in quarantine. He attributed it to two factors—lack of adequate accommodation as to practice safe distancing norms and disregard for quarantine protocols by returnees. 

“The transmission could have occurred in the place of origin, during transit or at the quarantine centres. I admit the government has its shortcomings. It could not provide single (isolated) rooms to all. But it is a two-way game. If only one could follow the social distancing norms, things would have been different,” he said.