Breaking: 22 test Covid-19 positive in Nagaland, tally soars to 80

Guwahati: 22 more Chennai-retuned citizens from Nagaland have tested positive for the dreaded Covid-19, taking the tally of cases in the state to 80.

"Out of 171 samples tested at Naha Hospital Authority Kohima and Dibrugarh, 22 more returnees from Chennai has tested COVID-19 positive", Nagaland Health Minister S Phangnyu Phom tweeted moments earlier.

It may be recalled here that Nagaland reported its first cases of the virus on Tuesday, May 26, after three persons who had returned from Chennai tested positive. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in a tweet said: "Unfortunately, two persons in Dimapur and one in Kohima have been tested positive for COVID-19. Please do not panic. We need to handle it with utmost care and responsibility. Necessary action of contact tracing and containment measures are being taken and situation closely monitored."

Since then, the number of Covid-19 cases in the state has continued to tick upwards, with many stranded citizens who returned to their native state amid easing of lockdown restrictions testing positive.

Meanwhile, owing to a sharp rise in the number of Covid patients, the Nagaland Cabinet on June 1 resolved to convert the Tourist Lodge Dimapur into a dedicated Covid-19 hospital. With this, Dimapur will have two Covid-19 facilities -- the District Hospital Dimapur and the Tourist lodge.

At the same time, Dimapur Deputy Commissioner Anoop Khinchi issued a circular in which he informed that no village or colony village headman or Chairman under the district shall deny entry of persons returning to their homes from other parts of India.  "Therefore, any individual/organization issuing unwarranted directives/statements which infringe on individual rights and in violation of Government orders will be liable to be punished as per Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)", Khinchi added.

India's tally of coronavirus cases has crossed the 2.16 lakh mark after a record number of 9,304 people tested positive for the deadly virus infection in the last 24 hours. The total cases in the country stood at 2,16,919, including 6,075 deaths, Union Health Ministry said.

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