Health Minister urges people to extend co-operation
Local spread to community spread: Dy Director
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 29 2020: Health Minister L Jayantakumar has urged the people to extend all co-operation possible to the efforts taken up by the Government to contain the spread of coronavirus and added that without the co-operation and support of the people, all the efforts taken up by the Government will flop.

The Minister made this appeal during his message to the people of Manipur today.

On the other hand Additional Health Director Dr Kh Shasheekumar who also delivered a similar message said that with widespread local transmission, community transmission is the next step.

However the authority to announce the status of community transmission lies with the Centre after inputs from a technical committee, he added.

There is the growing need for the people to more religiously follow the guidelines and dos and don'ts issued by the Government, said the Health Minister and added that no efforts have been spared to curb the spread of the disease at Thoubal and other places.

The Minister said that he has picked up the name of Thoubal in particular as the co-operation of the people has not been forthcoming and explained that the efforts of the Government to open another Covid Care Centre there has not yet fructified as some local people have opposed the proposal to open the centre at two such places.

The need to open a new CCC was felt as the one opened at GN School is now overcrowded and has no more space to take in new inmates, he added.

This is most unfortunate, said the Minister and added that it is the people of Thoubal themselves who will stay at the proposed CCC.

The infected and sick people cannot be left alone, he added.

This is where the co-operation and understanding of the people become paramount, said the Minister.

It is important for all to follow the guidelines to maintain physical distancing, wear masks, wash one's hand with soap regularly and maintain personal hygiene, said Jayantakumar.

The virus can be defeated only through a united effort of all, he said and added that it would be wrong to bluntly say that the man who passed away today died due to COVID-19.The late man from Thoubal district was hospitalised as he was suffering from a number of diseases.

Following the wish of the family members, necessary arrangements have been made to cremate the mortal remains of the late man at the crematorium at Minuthong following the prescribed SOP, said the Minister.

Additional Director of Health Services Dr Kh Shasheekumar Mangang said that the State has progressed in the steps taken up to fight the virus.

In the beginning there were no testing facilities in the State and samples had to be sent to Pune.

However today, the State has the capacity to conduct 2000 tests per day and so far about 80,000 people have been tested, he said and added from one or two ventilators available with the State Government, today there 40 ventilators.

Out of the 2317 positive cases detected so far, 1615 people have recovered, he said and added that presently there are 702 active cases.

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