Meghalaya: Bethany Hospital to be Evacuated as Doctors, Nurses & In-patients Test 'Negative', 3 Results Awaited

Shillong, April 19, 2020:

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has said that the Bethany Hospital in Shillong will be completely evacuated tonight after none of the people in the hospital where the first case was detected have tested positive for the COVID-19. “All the doctors and staff at the hospital have been tested.

Addressing the press here today, he said that the results of all are negative, but three are still awaited. "All who tested negative have been shifted to various isolation facilities", he said.

"All the inpatients have also been tested and found negative. All have been

moved to isolation facilities or discharged to go home. Fourteen doctors and staff are

in Bethany Hospital to complete the lockdown of the hospital", the Chief Minister

informed.

766 samples have been tested for the COVID-19 in Meghalaya so far, out of which 678 have tested negative. 11 cases have tested positive so far and 77 results are still awaited.

24,382 persons have been screened and 4198 people have been quarantined at time, while 175 people are being kept in institutional quarantine.

ALSO READ: Inter-State Movement not Allowed for Migrant Labourers Stranded amid Lockdown, Says Centre

199 primary contacts and 5,363 secondary contacts have been identified.

Meanwhile, the wife of the first patient who passed away recently is stable, and in home quarantine

Meanwhile, the domestic help of the first patient is stable and in institutional quarantine, while all other cases are in institutional quarantine.

- Transportation of agricultural and allied products of all kinds, harvesting and

sowing related machineries and other agriculture/horticulture implements, feed and

fodder of fish, hatcheries, cattle, piggery and poultry, agricultural inputs such as

seeds, fertilisers etc is allowed.

On the positive case from Mawtharia village, Pomlakrai under Mylliem Block in

East Khasi Hills, the Chief Minister informed that Durbar Shnong has resolved to

provide all necessary support to the family of the person who tested positive for

COVID19.

“Is is a wonderful story of how the villagers came together to really handle this

situation and I think this is an example that must be followed and replicated in the

future if their are such incidents in any other part of the State,” the Chief Minister

said.

"The village has decided that they will take care of the household in terms of

food and other essentials as they are in home quarantine and cannot come out to buy

ration,” the Chief Minister added.

“The Health Department has collected samples from the 36 primary contacts of

the positive individual from the village, the result of which is awaited,” the Chief

Minister informed while adding that Health Minister A.L. Hek had also made a visit

to the said village and met the Durbar and the village elders.

He also informed that to effectively monitor home quarantine, the government

is using the Corontine App developed by IIT Bombay.

“The database of about 5,300 individuals who fall in the above categories is

with the health and family welfare department. These individuals will all receive an

SMS or a link via WhatsApp on their mobile phones to download the app today,” the

Chief Minister said.

He further said that the feature of this app was to ensure that the users follow

quarantine protocols. “It also notifies if there are positive cases around you and it

helps authorities contain the spread of the virus. The government will also ensure that

all families under compulsory home quarantine downloaded the app,” the Chief

Minister stressed.

“The government will also ensure that all families under compulsory Home

Quarantine have downloaded the app are given free home delivery of rations so that

they don’t have to step out of their homes. We will start the process from April 22 and

will reach all the households soon,” the Meghalaya CM added.

Speaking on the MHA order on the movement of standard migrants within the state, he said, "Government will work towards following this orders, but keeping the

situation in mind, we need to be very careful and therefore we will follow very strict

protocols. Areas which have been affected and districts which have been affected

there will be complete assessment on how we should move forward and only after

assessment is made, the decision will be taken."

"We will take decisions but districts which are not affected as of now even in those

cases only after strict protocol and strict measures are taken only then will be go

ahead", the Meghalaya CM added.

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