State's COVID-19 active cases jump to 5 in 48 hrs, lockdown tightened
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 16 2020: In an alarming turn of events, the State's COVID-19 active cases have jumped to five in the last 48 hours, taking the total positive cases to seven.

Two individuals who went to Mumbai for medical treatment and returned by hired bus tested positive for COVID-19 today as a 22 year old girl from Churachandpur who returned from Chennai by train arranged by the State Government tested positive too.

Following the spike in the number of positive cases, the State Government has stopped issuing of pass to people who wish to return to the State.

The two individuals who tested positive today were among the 36 people who reached Imphal from Mumbai in hired bus and ambulance on May 13 .

State's COVID-19 active cases jump to 5 in 48 hrs, lockdown tightened

After reaching Imphal, they were put in the quarantine centre of State Family Welfare Training Centre, Lamphelpat.

Throat swab samples of the two individuals were tested at RIMS today and they were found to be positive, informed a source.

Incidentally, the COVID-19 positive individuals are mother and son.

While the mother is 75 years old, the son is 48 years and they are residents of Moreh.

After reaching the State, the girl from Churachandpur was quarantined at St Stephen School, Saikot.

The test result of her sample was available only this evening even though it was sent to JNIMS on May 14 and it turned out to be positive.

So far, the State has reported seven positive cases of COVID-19 .

Samples of all the people who travelled together with the mother-son duo from Mumbai to Imphal have been tested and all of them were found negative, according to a press release issued by COVID-19 Common Control Room spokesman Dr Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang.

Notably, the third person to test positive for COVID-19 was also a returnee from Mumbai while the fourth case happened to be a nurse who returned from Kolkata.

Whereas the nurse from Kamjong district was quarantined at NIT Langol, the third positive man from Khurai Heikrumakhong was quarantined at a community quarantine centre of Khabeisoi.

While the man from Khurai Heikrumakhong and the nurse from Kamjong have been taken to JNIMS isolation ward, the mother-son duo from Moreh have been admitted in the isolation ward of RIMS.

Taking serious note of the sudden spike in COVID-19 positive cases in the State during the last 48 hours, the Chief Secretary issued an office memorandum today whereby all curfew passes issued earlier were cancelled.

Nonetheless, a counter has been opened at the gate of Old Secretariat for issuing fresh curfew passes for Imphal West and Imphal East districts.

The office memorandum said that all applications for curfew passes should be addressed to the Deputy Secretary (Home).

Applicants should give mobile numbers for the curfew passes would be gene- rated electronically and this time curfew passes would not be issued in bulk, it said.

For districts other than Imphal West and Imphal East, the concerned DCs may issue curfew passes but movement should be confined within their respective districts.

If private individuals and organisations wish to donate relief items to the masses, the same may be handed over to the 'food banks' opened at DC offices.

Meanwhile, Special Secretary (Home) issued a notice today whereby issuance of pass to people returning to the State by private or hired vehicles has been suspended temporarily.

However, passes would be issued as usual if it is for medical purpose, it mentioned.

Following confirmation of the young woman from Kamjong and the mother-son duo from Moreh as COVID-19 positive who were quarantined at NIT Langol and State Family Welfare Training Centre, Lamphelpat, Imphal West DC Naorem Praveen has declared certain areas of Lamphelpat and Langol as containment areas.