Nagaland-wide lockdown extended to June 11

May 29, 2021 56 Views No Comment

All existing guidelines to remain

Morung Express News
Kohima | May 29

The High Powered Committee (HPC) has decided to extend the state wide total lockdown with the existing guidelines till June 11. The decision was taken during a five hour deliberation of the HPC headed by the Chief Minister.

Informing this during a press conference on Friday evening at the secretariat conference hall, Minister and state Spokesperson Neiba Kronu said that the decision was taken based on medical advice received with regard to the high level of COVID-19 positive cases in the state and also the feedback from all the District Task Forces (DTFs).

“The Health and Family Welfare department made a PowerPoint presentation giving the current status of the case positivity, beds and oxygen availability and the trend of hospitalisation etc. As per the clinical and epidemiological criteria, the department advised to complete at least two cycles of incubation of two weeks each,” Kronu stated.

State Nodal Officer for IDSP, Dr Nyanthung Kikon who was also present at the briefing said the positivity rate in the state is much higher than expected. While the expected rate is below 10%, he informed that the current rate stands at 21%, while pointing out that it has decreased considerably from 34% prior to the lockdown.

The lockdown has been advised for full impact as per the available information and evidence on the incubation period of 14 days, in an effort to effectively check and break the chain of the spread of the virus, informed Dr Kikon.

Further informing the outcome of the meeting, the Minister said 15% of LADP fund earmarked for Common Pool and additional 10% will be kept aside for COVID-19 related expenditure, excluding those earmarked for Iconic Projects for COVID-19 related expenditure as per the requirements of the DTFs. The planning department, he said will be issuing separate guidelines on this matter.

Meanwhile to check the spread of the virus in rural areas, a system of community surveillance has been put in place, informed Kronu. The DTFs shall take steps to strengthen the village task force and village disaster management authorities, and they shall remain operational under the supervision of the respective DTFs for effective management of COVID-19 in the rural areas, he added.

The ongoing vaccination drive, he said shall continue to be aggressively implemented across the state. To this end, Kronu maintained that all village and ward/colony authorities may be mobilised to organise suitable slots for vaccination in order to streamline the process.

While ministers, advisors and MLAs have already been assigned to the districts to monitor effective measures to prevent and control COVID-19, Kronu said the assignees will be requested to go to their respective districts to take stock of the situation.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/nagaland-wide-lockdown-extended-to-june-11