Nagaland: Covid positivity rate expected to dip below 10% by June 11

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 28 (EMN): Nagaland government has extended state-wide total lockdown till June 11, with the existing guidelines, after the Health department advised the High Powered Committee (HPC) “to complete at least two cycles of incubation of two weeks each”, citing “clinical and epidemiological criteria” and in view of high Covid-19 positive cases.

The state government imposed total lockdown from May 14 to the 21st amid surge in Covid cases both in the country and the state, before it was extended to May 31.

Citing evidence available with the department, State Nodal Officer of Integrated Diseases Surveillance Programme, Dr. Nyanthung Kikon said that one incubation period of the coronavirus is 14 days.

He was addressing a press conference along with state’s spokespersons for Covid-19 -- Minister for Planning, Land Resource and Parliamentary Affairs, Neiba Kronu and Advisor for NRE, IT, Science and Technology, Mmhonlümo Kikon -- in Kohima after the HPC meeting on Friday.

Kikon said that the HPC was advised to extend the lockdown as such exercise usually has the full impact after two cycles of the incubation period of the virus.

He pointed out that Covid positivity rate in the state has come down to 21% from 34% but it is much higher than the desirable rate of below 10%. With total lockdown in place, the officer expected that positivity rate would come down to below 10% by June 11.

May 2021 has also recorded the highest number of tests done right from the start of the pandemic at 28,820 till Thursday, he informed.

Kronu said that HPC extended total lockdown after taking into account the medical advice as well as the feedback received from all the District Task Forces.

‘The HPC also has decided that in addition to the 15% of LADP fund earmarked for Common Pool activities, an additional 10% would be kept aside for Covid- related expenditure excluding those earmarked for Iconic Projects for Covid-related expenditure as per the requirement of the respective District Task Forces. The Planning department will issue separate guidelines on this,’ Kronu informed.

‘To check the spread of the virus in rural areas, a system of community surveillance have been put in place. The DTFs should take steps to strengthen the village task force and village disaster management authorities and they should remain operational under the supervision of the respective DTFs for effective management of Covid-19 in the rural areas,’ he added.

He said that ‘the ongoing vaccination drive would continue to be aggressively implemented across the state. All village, ward and colony authorities may be mobilised to organise suitable slots for vaccination in order to streamline the ongoing vaccination drive’.

Further, he informed that the HPC had decided to request the assigned ministers, advisors and MLAs to go to their respective districts to take stock of the situation.

Hospitals won’t be converted into complete Covid facilities

Referring to Epidemic Act, Kikon said that the Health department is authorised to take measures. Some refusing not to get tested is in violation of the Epidemic Act—indirectly involved in spreading the infection.

In the past three weeks, testing has increased from 600 to 1400 from May first week till last one week, he informed.

The advisor iterated that private or government hospitals would not be converted into complete Covid-19 hospitals to enable patients suffering other illnesses can also be accommodated and essential services not disrupted.

As for daily wage earners, he said that through PMGKAY, rations to card holders are being provided. No displacement of migrants is being reported so far and essential economic activities still on, Kikon informed.

On complete lockdown, including essential commodities by some of the colonies in Kohima, he said that the issue has been brought to the notice of HPC.

“If essential services are not allowed, it is not as per the SOP we have given,” he said, adding that the advisory was to open essential commodities.

The DTF has been directed to specifically discuss the matter, he informed, while adding that the village task forces and village disaster management authorities should operate under the supervision of their respective DTFs.

There will be a co-ordination meeting between DTF and village task force and village disaster management authorities on Saturday, he informed.