Sikkim relaxes COVID-19 containment measures for villages

GANGTOK: Sikkim's government has relaxed the stringent containment measures in villages that are reporting Covid-19 outbreaks.

Amid a rising trickle of cases, the state government on July 17  in an order stated that “...In case of rural areas, even if one case is found to be positive, then the entire panchayat/ward shall be contained…”

"Now, after careful consideration, it is hereby decided to partially modify the above Order and instead of containing the entire village ward, the District Authorities may now demarcate micro containment zones covering only the residential building or cluster of houses where a positive case is detected, Principal Secretary (Home) R. Telang stated issuing a release.

This new order has been issued with the approval of the Chairperson, State Executive Committee under Section 22(2) (h) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The state's COVID-19 tally rose to 24,823 on Saturday as 225 more people tested positive for the infection, while one fresh fatality pushed the Himalayan state's coronavirus death toll to 330, a health bulletin said.

West Sikkim district reported the highest number of new cases at 81, followed by East Sikkim (72), South Sikkim (71), and North Sikkim (one).

Sikkim now has 2,849 active cases, while 21,380 people have recovered from the disease, and 264 patients have migrated to other states so far, it said.

The recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state stands at 87 percent. The Himalayan state has tested over 1.87 lakh samples for COVID-19 thus far, including 1,972 in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said, adding the positivity rate now stands at 11.4 percent.

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