The 'Dashboard' put up outside the COVID Hospital Tuensang on May 27. (Photo by Special Arrangement)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 27
Five new COVID-19 postive cases were reported in Nagaland on May 27, taking the State's tally of active cases to 9.
While the initial reports said that the cases include 1 from Kohima and 4 from Dimapur, it has been learnt that the positive case from Kohima is actually a returnee from Chennai who was sent to home district in Tuensang by bus on May 26, along with the others from the district.
According to an official source, a total of 151 returnees from Chennai were sent to Tuensang while some of their test results were still awaited.
The officials claimed that 3 days institutional quarantine was completed for the Chennai returnees and Kohima being 'overloaded and understaffed', they were sent to their home district.
Not only Tuensang, but other returnees were also to be sent to their home districts after 3 days in order to ease the work load and capacity of the quarantine centres in the state capital, according to reports.
However, with the positive case emerging from Tuensang, the district administration has swung into action in efforts to contain the spread.
Patients shifted from district hospital
Speaking to The Morung Express, CMO Tuensang said that all the patients in the Tuensang District Hospital has been shifted. There were around 9 patients in the hosptial as on May 27.
With one the COVID-19 positive patients in the district, the Tuensang District Hospital, which is also the COVID-19 Hospital would be housing the patient.
Two hospitals have been earmarked to attend to other patients, and they have been shifted to those hospitals, the CMO informed.
Action plan
Meanwhile the positive patient was in Sao Chang quarantine centre after reaching Tuensang.
Since he has travelled by train and bus and came into contact with unknown number of people before reaching Tuensang, contact tracing is going to be difficult, he added.
The COVID-19 positive patient will be kept in the district hospital in isolation, whereas the rest of the returnees will be kept under strict surveillance, he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Tuensang Kumar Ramnikant told this newspaper that the current SOP stays unchanged.
Tuensang DC informs
Later, a press release from the Deputy Commissioner stated that 5 buses carrying 151 Chennai returnees reached Sao Chang College Quarantine Centre and were admitted after necessary procedures.
Their samples for COVID-19 testing were taken at Kohima and results were awaited. At 7:00 am, report of a person being tested postive for COVID-19 was received from the state nodal officer IDSP Kohima.
Consequently the person was isolated at the quarantine centre. Meanwhile, district hospital Tuensang was activated as COVID-19 Hospital.
Regular patients have been shifted to Urban primary health centre, PHC Longpang and Polyclinic.
The COVID-19 patient has been shifted to COVID Hospital isolation ward and is being monitored as per the SOP.
Sao Chang College Quarantine Centre has been declared as a containment zone.
As per the latest report, the patient is stated to be asymptomatic and in a stable condition.
More results are awaited, the DC informed.
