Two new COVID-19 positive cases were reported from Manipur on May 16 thus recording six total cases in the state.
Manipur was declared COVID-19 free after the first two patients tested negative in repeated tests. However, after the return of stranded people, four new cases were detected till May 16.
A 75-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man who came back from Mumbai were tested at RIMS and both were found positive on May 16. Both were staying at a quarantine centre at Lamphel for the last three days. After getting the report, the two persons from Moreh, Tennoupal district were kept at the hospital isolation ward.
Earlier, a 22-year-old girl who was working as a nurse in Kolkata was found COVID-19 positive on May 15. The girl from Kamjong district was asymptomatic and was kept in JNIMS isolation ward.
On May 14, a 31-year-old man from Imphal East district, who returned from Mumbai with a non-COVID-19 patient, was also tested positive.
Manipur was COVID-19 free from April 14 last after all the two patients were declared free from the virus.
Additional Director and Spokesperson Directorate of Health Services, Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang, said the capacity for testing of COVID-19 has substantially increased to about 200 per day during the last few days. “This was possible with the introduction of pool testing method. In addition to this, RIMS and JNIMS have installed ‘Truenat’ machines for testing COVID-19. This will further enhance the testing capacity,” Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang said.
The official added that so far, 1900 samples were tested in the state. All close contacts of the active cases were under close surveillance and all other necessary precaution, measures are put in place, he added.
