Fear, anxiety, apprehension grip Ukhrul as...First report of 25 says negative, second says positive
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, June 28 2020: Fear, anxiety and apprehension have gripped Ukhrul district after 25 persons who were declared negative after their samples were tested were again declared to be positive within a span of 24 hours.

Twenty five persons who were declared negative of the dreaded virus on June 26 however found that they had tested positive on June 27 .

The samples of the 25 persons were collected on June 22 and June 23 and the 'first result' was announced on June 26 which declared them negative.

However on June 27, another result came out which tagged them as positive.

This has obviously resulted in widespread confusion and anxiety across the district.

Ukhrul...First report of 25 says negative, second says positive

According to a source, after the 25 persons received their negative status report on June 26 they were discharged from their respective village quarantine centres.

However on June 27, another report was received which said that they had tested positive for the virus, all within a span of 24 hours.

Not surprisingly, the two contradictory reports both coming within a span of 24 hours have created confusion, anxiety and anger in some quarters with many fearing that this could have opened the avenue for community transmission.

According to a reliable source, no fresh swap samples were collected from the 25 returnees for the second result.

The 25 persons returned from different parts of the country and they received their test results from RIMS.

Disturbingly many of the 25 persons had returned home by the time the second test results came out as they had already completed their village quarantine time.

As per information culled from different sources, all the 25 persons were housed at different quarantine centres of Ukhrul district and all completed their 14 days period after which they were shifted to their respective village quarantine centres for another 14 days.

Majority of the 25 people are from Chingai village and many of them had already returned home while some other persons are about complete their 28 days quarantine period (Institutional and village quarantine combined).

Among the other 25, four persons are from Halang village and one person has already completed 28 days stay and was undergoing another 7 days quarantine arranged by the village authority.

Another 5 persons are from Lambui area villages, two from Pharung Shimtang and two from Mapum village of Ukhrul.

Meanwhile the convener of Tangkhul Co-ordination Forum on Covid-19 (TCFC -19) K Tuisem taking the development seriously questioned the persons (microbiologists) handling the test lab at RIMS and asserted that they should be held accountable for the faulty test result.

In case there is community spread, the persons concerned including the Health Department should be held responsible, he asserted.

K Tuisem further said that the negligence is beyond tolerance and warned all not to repeat the mistake again.

No one should play with human lives, he added.

According to information from Ukhrul District Hospital, 13 persons were immediately evacuated from the village quarantine centres for further treatment at Ukhrul Covid Care Centre.

However, 12 persons from Chingai village are yet to be evacuated following mis-understanding with the villagers.

Subsequently, Ukhrul District Magistrate Joseph Pauline Kamson sealed Chingai and Ramva as containment zones with immediate effect.