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Meghalaya: Covid-19 cases rose 6 times faster in 2nd wave, restrictions imposed
Meghalaya CM said the revised restrictions were meant to find a “balance between economy and safety and security of the people”.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma announced a host of restrictions on the operation of schools, businesses and public gatherings while noting that Covid-19 infections in the state had risen six times faster during the second wave. He ruled out a complete lockdown and said the situation will be reviewed in a week. He was speaking at Shillong on Monday.
The CM said while it took 114 days for Covid-19 cases to touch the 665 cases mark during the first wave last year, during the second wave this year, close to 680 cases were reported in less than a month.
“The rise of cases is six times higher this time compared to the last time. Therefore, the situation is serious and there are a lot of concerns. We will review the situation in the next seven days and further decide on how to move forward,” Sangma said after a meeting to review the situation. He asked the public to co-operate with the administration during the next two-three weeks to avoid a complete lockdown.
According to the health department data, Meghalaya has recorded 14,979 Covid-19 positive cases so far, including 154 deaths and 754 currently active cases.
Director of Health Services Dr Aman War confirmed that during the 114 days between April 13, 2020 and August 5, 2020, the state reported its first 665 Covid cases, which was then considered manageable.
“However, this year the scenario is totally different and the CM is correct. We are seeing an exponential growth in the number of cases,” Dr War said. On March 23 this year, there were only 23 positive cases in the state, which suddenly shot up to 680 just in 25 days, i.e. on April 17, 2021.
The CM said the revised restrictions, announced on Monday, were meant to find a “balance between economy and safety and security of the people”. “We are not in favour of a complete lockdown so we have started the restrictions.”
Entry of tourists from outside the state has been banned for two weeks starting April 23 but interstate tourism is allowed, however, deputy commissioners are empowered to monitor and shut down tourist spots that witness heavy footfall.
State government and private offices have been asked to function at 50% capacity from April 20, 2021; however, banks, post offices and central offices will be allowed to run full capacity.
Schools in Shillong have been asked to shut down for 14 days starting April 20. But classes 10 and 12 board exams will continue as scheduled. The restrictions on schools apply only to the Shillong agglomeration area, where close to 80% of the state’s Covid-19 cases have been detected.
Shops and commercial agencies have been allowed to function normally with strict enforcement of protocols failing which they will be shut down.
Restaurants, eateries and hotels have been allowed to function at 50% capacity beginning April 20, 2021 with strict monitoring. Takeaways are encouraged.
Public gatherings except weddings, funerals and social events, have been banned for the next two weeks beginning April 20, 2021. The exempted events will need prior permission from the district collector (DC). The timeframe for RT-PCR tests validity has been reduced from 72 to 48 hours.
