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Meghalaya government has further extended night curfew in the state as there has been a sudden surge in the cases of COVID-19.

On April 3, as many as 24 fresh cases of COVID-19 were detected in the state taking the total number of active cases to 88.

District magistrate, East Khasi Hills, Isawanda Laloo on April 3 extended the existing night curfew timing in the district from April 3 to April 11 between 12 am to 5 am each day as a precaution against the pandemic.

East Khasi Hills district, that includes state capital Shillong is the most COVID-19 affected district with 58 active cases followed by West Garo Hills district with 23 active cases as on date.

Director Health Services (MI), Aman War said that of the 24 fresh cases reported on April 3, 22 were returnees and two tourists visiting the state, taking the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state to 88.

Meghalaya has so far registered 14,106 COVID-19 cases, including 150 deaths due to the viral disease with 1.06 per cent case fatality rate and 13,868 cases of recovery from the infection.

Vaccination programme on in Meghalaya

On the other hand, 22,465 health workers have received the first dose of Covishield vaccine with 15,166 having received the second dose. Among the frontline workers, 32,860 have received the first dose and 18,390 have received the second dose.

The state has vaccinated 31,512 from among the general public with the first dose and 877 have been administered with the second dose of the vaccine across the state, a bulletin issued by the state directorate of health services reflected.

RT-PCR negative report mandatory

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya health department has notified that negative RT-PCR reports are mandatory for persons entering Meghalaya from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh and Gujarat and RAT negative report will not be valid for persons coming from these states.

“The COVID negative report will be valid only if they were tested within 72 hours of their arrival at the entry point. For those persons who do not have a COVID negative report, sample for RT-PCR testing shall be taken at the entry point on payment basis. Such persons shall proceed to their residence or place of stay and shall be quarantined until the test results are declared,” principal secretary health and family welfare department, Sampath Kumar said.

“For those coming from other states, they will also have to provide COVID-19 negative report or else get themselves tested at the entry point on payment basis either through Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) or RT-PCR,” Kumar stated in the notification.

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