Sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in M’laya

Meghalaya witnessed a sudden spike in daily Covid-19 cases which shot up from single digit to 31, mostly among young sportspersons, aged between 11 to 15 years on Thursday, which added up to 42 active cases in the State.
The sportspersons were to attend the third phase of the selection trials for induction into the Sports Authority India (SAI) training centre at the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) campus here.
Out of the 31 positive cases, 23 cases were from East Khasi Hills district, three from South West Khasi Hills district, four from Ri-Bhoi district, and one from West Khasi Hills district.
The SAI authorities have made it mandatory for the athletes who are planning to attend the trial, to submit their RTCPR Covid-19 test report during registration.
The trials are being held for different disciplines including archery, athletics, boxing, football and judo under its residential and non-residential schemes. A health official informed that all the athletes were tested positive for Covid-19 during the screening process and all of them were asymptomatic.
Maintaining that there was “nothing to panic”, Secretary Health and Family Welfare, R.M.Kurbah however, said, “People need to understand that Covid-19 pandemic is not yet over”
“It is advised that we should not let our guards down and strict adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour should be followed by all,” she said.
The health official reminded that “COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet” and there is a need to ensure complete vaccination of all eligible individuals including children of 12 years and above.
Kurbah underscored the fact that vaccines help prevent severe infection and also death.
Meanwhile, the State has been conducting genomic surveillance at Pasteur Institute on a routine basis to detect any new variant and to take prompt action.
Meanwhile, 32,136 health care workers have been vaccinated with the first dose against Covid-19, 29,501 have taken the second shot and 9,691 have got the third precautionary dose, while 97,021 front-line workers have been administered with the first dose, 85,677 have received the second dose and 27,292 have got the precautionary dose, even as 12,96,751 persons from among the general public have been inoculated with the first dose, 9,41,923 have been fully vaccinated with the second dose and 9,101 have taken the precautionary dose across the state as on date, as per the State Covid-19 dashboard.