‘Will probe spike in Covid-19 cases’

Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 25 (EMN): The department of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday said that it will try to study the social behaviour among the returnees and what has led to the spike of Covid-19 positive cases among the Chennai returnees in particular.

Principal Director for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Vizolie Z Suokhrie informed that they are trying to analyse the data of this group of people who returned from other states, particularly Chennai group.

“We want to do social behavioural studies among them so that we may find out what exactly has led to so many positive cases among them,” he said.

There are positive cases among the returnees from places like Maharashtra, Delhi, Gurgaon, Jaipur etc., but the spike in confirmed cases was actually from the Chennai returnees, he added.

He also said that the maximum positive cases per district are from Mon and Peren.

‘When positive case is declared, the other people jump up and begin mixing together and hanging out together, which is the reason why spike has happened among them (Peren and Mon),’ he said.

Suokhrie asserted that social distancing is one thing which people have to continue and learn to live with the coronavirus, as it is here to stay.

As for the containment area, he said that the department is looking at how best it can contain, in case if there is any local transmission. “We are starting micro planning and strengthening surveillance system so that in contact tracing we don’t miss anyone”, he said.

In reaction to the returnees running away from quarantine centres, a health official said that those people are putting so many people, including frontline workers, at risk.

“These people who ran away from the quarantine centre, they have put so many people’s life at risk, because one of them who was caught outside was found to be positive,” said a health official who do not wished to be named.

“They are totally irresponsible and they have put so many people’s lives at risk and they are talking about their rights”.

Good examples

The situation in Mokokchung and Longleng, comparing to other districts, paints a different picture.

In Mokokchung, 19 returnees were reported to be from Chennai and none of them has been detected positive.

In Longleng, around 16 persons each returned from Chennai and Maharashtra, but none of them have been declared positive, he said.

Returnees from Longleng were said to have refused to stay together in the same quarantine centre and avoid mixing with each other while returnees from Mokokchung maintained hygiene and social distancing protocols clearly, he said.