Nagaland extends total lockdown till May 31

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 19 (EMN): The High Powered Committee (HPC) on Covid-19 on Wednesday extended the ongoing total lockdown in Nagaland by 10 more days, till May 31, following an emergency meeting held at the Chief Minister’s Residential Complex in Kohima.

The state government had imposed an eight-day total lockdown starting from May 14 with an aim to break the chain of Covid transmission amid surge in new cases and it is supposed to expire on May 21.

“After reviewing the current situation and taking into account the consistent rise of Covid-19 positive cases in the State, the HPC decided to extend the State wide total lockdown with the existing conditions till May 31 2021,” read the press statement issued by the committee.

It added that on completion of summer break on May 21, schools will be allowed to resume online classes from May 24 by following the detailed SOP issued by the School Education department.

“For more efficient management of oxygen supply through cylinders, it was decided that a centralised depot of oxygen cylinders will be created in Chümoukedima Police Complex for efficient distribution and to minimise turn-around time in refilling the cylinders. Zonal depots shall also be set up in strategic locations across the State,” read the update.

“To check the spread of the virus in rural areas, a system of community surveillance will be put in place through ASHA workers as well as NSRLM and other volunteers from the civil society organisation to be co-ordinated by the respective district task forces,” it added.

The committee went on to inform that 56 doctors have been recently recruited, adding that “the resultant vacancies of doctors and nurses under NHM caused due to this recruitment will be filled up by engaging suitable professionals on temporary basis”.

The State’s spokesperson for Covid-19 and advisor of IT＆ST and NRE, Mmhonlumo Kikon also took to Twitter to inform about the lockdown extension and said that existing SOP stands.

The HPC emergency meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to review the Covid-19 situation in the State after the imposition of state-wide total lockdown on May 14. It was attended by Minister of Health and Family Welfare S Pangnyu Phom, Mmhonlumo Kikon, Minister for Planning, LR& Parliamentary Affairs Neiba Kronu, Minister in-charge of Kohirna district, State’s Chief Secretary and senior officers from the departments of Health, Home and NSDMA etc.