Covid-19: 3-day lockdown in Shillong after Meghalaya reports 56 fresh cases

SHILLONG: Lockdown was reimposed in Shillong and its adjoining areas from the midnight on Sunday as cases of Covid-19 continued to surge in the city and across the state. Fifty-six fresh cases of the virus were reported in Meghalaya in the past 24 hours, taking the total count to 562.

East Khasi Hills district magistrate ordered a total curfew in Shillong and its adjoining areas till Wednesday midnight, during which a total lockdown will also be in force.

Night curfew will also be effective in rural areas of East Khasi Hills from July 27 to August 3 between 9 pm and 5 am every day.

State director of health services (DHS) Dr Aman Warr said of the fresh Covid-19 positive cases detected on Sunday, 37, including 23 BSF personnel, four from the armed forces and nine civilians, are in the East Khasi Hills district.

Nine persons, including five from the armed forces and four civilians, tested positive in Ri-Bhoi, while three police personnel - two of whom returned from Delhi and one from Assam - were detected positive in West Khasi Hills . Five persons - all high risk contacts in East Jaintia Hills - and one each in West Jaintia Hills and North Garo Hills also tested positive.

"Forty-one people, including 39 BSF personnel and two others recovered today, taking total number of recoveries to 135," Dr War added.

While with 462 active cases, including 270 from the BSF, 25 from armed forces and 167 civilians, East Khasi Hills is the worst-affected district in the state, while Ri-Bhoi has 50 active cases, West Garo Hills 15, East Jaintia Hills 13, West Jaintia Hills 10, South West Garo Hills four, South Garo Hills and North Garo Hills have two each and East Garo Hills has one active case as of now.

Meanwhile, several localities in Shillong, from where positive Covid-19 cases were reported, have been declared as containment zones with new localities being added to the list after more people contracted the virus.

In West Jaintia Hills district , New Hill Jowai was declared a containment zone, following detection of a positive case.