Health secretary, 10-year-old girl among 40 new Covid-19 cases in Mizoram

Aizawl, Sep. 15 (PTI): Mizoram’s Covid-19 tally increased to 1,468 as 40 more people, including state health secretary and a 10-year-old girl, have tested positive for the disease, an official said on Tuesday.

Of the fresh cases, 35 were reported from Aizawl, two from Hnahthial and one each from Lunglei, Khawzawl and Lawngtlai districts, he said.

“State Health Secretary H Lalengmawia, a 10-year-old girl from Aizawl and an employee of the Border Security Force from Lunglei are among new patients. Twenty-three fresh cases were detected during contact tracing,” the official said.

The Covid-19 patient from Lawngtlai district has been referred to the Zoram Medical College (ZMC) as he is also suffering from diabetes, he said.

The number of active cases now stands at 549 in Mizoram, while 919 people have recovered from the disease.

According to the Health department official, 51,316 samples have been tested for Covid-19, including 1,306 on Monday.

Meanwhile, the state government is considering an idea of keeping asymptomatic patients under home isolation.

Health minister Dr. R Lalthangliana had on Monday said the matter was discussed at a meeting with the representatives of churches and NGOs.

Before taking any final decision on the proposal, a study will be conducted to know whether the treatment of asymptomatic patients could be feasible or not under home isolation, he said.

The government has notified at least 35 Covid Care Centres across the state, where about 1,700 patients could be admitted at a time, the official said.

Most of the asymptomatic patients in Mizoram are being treated in these centres, he said.

People with symptoms of the coronavirus infection are being referred to the ZMC, the only dedicated facility for treatment of such patients in the state, the official added.