Amidst fear of two frontline workers testing positive for Coronavirus on June 30 last, the Health and Family Welfare department has assured of help to those voluntarily coming forward for testing.
On the reported free movement of the two frontline workers without being kept in isolation even after their swabs were collected, state nodal officer IDSP, Dr Nyan Kikon justified saying that some of the frontline workers involved in the Bethel Kitchen volunteered themselves for testing so they did not suspect that they would be tested positive. He said their swabs were collected on June 29 while the result was out on June 30 and they were sent to isolation.
On the issue of contact tracing not done for members of churches engaged in cooking food at Bethel Kitchen for the quarantine centres in Kohima as highlighted by media persons, the principal director of H&FW, Dr Vizolie Z. Suokhrie during a press conference said that contact tracing was expanding. He informed that those working in the kitchen could go for voluntary sample testing can go to the Naga Hospital Authority or coordinate with the chief medical officer of Kohima district for testing facility. “In case our surveillance team has missed to contact any such person, we will be very happy if they can voluntarily come forward and we will definitely help them out”, he said. Nonetheless, he added “we should be happy that the tests of primary contacts of the two frontline workers are negative and they are still under isolation but we don’t want to release them till their second test is not done, though it may not be required.” He also asserted that the directorate of H&FW would officially convey to the CMO Kohima to give priority to any such cases.
Further, Dr Suokhrie said the most important thing was that the primary contacts of the two were negative and was the biggest relief.