File photo of Police Bazaar in Shillong | Photo Courtesy: The Shillong Times

Nine more persons tested positive for COVID-19 taking the tally of active cases up to 497 in Meghalaya on July 25, even as curfew was re-imposed in Shillong urban agglomeration and its adjoining areas with effect from the midnight of July 26 to midnight of July 29 to try and break the transmission chain.

The Meghalaya government on July 25 had re-imposed total lockdown from the midnight of July 26 to midnight of July 29 covering all areas of Shillong and its suburbs following a spike in COVID-19 cases.

District authorities in East Khasi Hills also declared 22 new areas within Shillong as containment zones following recent high risk and low risk contact with COVID-19 positive cases for aggressive contact tracing, quarantine, testing and isolation as well as containment in the interest of the health of the general public against any possible spread of the virus.

East Khasi Hills district magistrate, Matsiewdor War Nongbri said that no person and public are allowed to move into the containment areas and inhabitants within the containment areas also not allowed to move out, besides, all inhabitants within the containment areas must strictly remain inside their homes.

“Any violation of the order will entail prosecution under the penal provision of Disaster Management Act, 2005 and IPC,” she said.

In another order, Nongbri clamped total curfew in all of Shillong urban agglomeration and its adjoining areas with effect from midnight of July 26 till midnight of July 29, under Section 144 CrPC read together with regulation 3 of the Meghalaya Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020.

Police, armed and security forces, medical teams on duty and hospital, wholesale and retail pharmacies, fire and emergency service, MeECL, NEEPCO and Power Grid, food and civil supplies, PWD and PHE departments, FCI, Shillong Municipal Board, telecom, communications and IT services, media, petrol pumps and LPG deliveries are exempted from the curfew.

“Movement of vehicles carrying essential commodities, security forces, medical equipment and good vehicles are also exempted but drivers and attendants of the vehicles will be subjected to medical screening as per laid down protocols,” Nongbri said.

Director health services (MI), Aman War said that among the new nine cases five are troopers of Border Security Force (BSF) and four civilians in East Khasi Hills district, which is the worst hit district in the State with 497 active cases.

He also informed that seven more BSF troopers have recovered taking the total recoveries from the virus to 97.

With these latest detections, Meghalaya as of now has registered 596 positive cases, which include 497 active, 94 recoveries and five deaths.

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