With 15 cases in a day, CCpur invokes CrPC 144
Source: The Sangai Express

CCpur, May 20 2020: On the first day of taking up mass tests for about 1500 returnees who are currently in quarantine centers set-up across the district, Churachandpur today opened a pandoras box with 15 of over 200 samples tested for Covid-19 returning positive.

The alarming figure has led the local authorities to invoke CrPC 144.News of the sudden escalation in positive cases had begun doing the round on the social media in the evening.

With details of the individual already in circulation and websites tracking COVID-19 cases in the country already updating the State's cases, the official release came only to authenticate the claims hours later.

The District Magistrate's order invoking CrPC 144, a law retained from the colonial era to address urgent cases of apprehended danger has added to the suspense all the more.

The order that clamped the curfew said the movement of any person outside their respective residence is prohibited within Churachandpur town area comprising of areas within Rengkai in the east, Pearsonmun on the west, Tuibong Peace ground of the north and Lanva Bridge on the south - with immediate effect.

This is besides the total curfew that will continue till May 31 or until further orders.

Of the 10 of the 15 new cases detected today, most are from the district Youth Hostel, an institutional quarantine centre while the remaining are from SSPP Residential School, community quarantine and Circuit House - the first institutional quarantine centre identified in the district.

With the exception of the case from Circuit House, who is a Guwahati returnee, all the remaining are said to be Chennai returnees.

Incidentally, a 23 day old baby and her mother were among the new cases.

As most of the new cases came from two quarantine centers, transmission within the quarantine community was suspected but when enquired the CMO Churachandpur Dr VC Pau said the chances are that they were exposed in Chennai or on their way home.

There are room-mates or immediate neighbor whose results returned negative but are now placed under contact tracing by the health authorities, he said.

Later in the evening the Deputy Commissioner issued a separate order sealing all the three quarantine centres from where positive cases were detected today as a containment measure prohibiting entry or exit from the area or movement of vehicle near the containment area.

With the 15 cases today, Churachandpur now has 16 active cases of Covid-19 .

If today's results are any indication, all stake holders need to be extra prepared for the next few weeks as Churachandpur has 1400 returnees at the community and institutional quarantine centres as of yesterday.

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