Nagaland reported 14 more Covid19 deaths and 218 new positive cases on Wednesday, health minister S Pangyu Phom said.

Of the new cases, Dimapur recorded 86, Mokokchung 40, Kohima 34, Tuensang 31, Phek 9, Wokha 7, Zunheboto 5, Kiphire 3 and Longleng, Mon and Peren 1 each.

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Phom said 94 positive patients – Dimapur and Kohima 20 each, Longleng 12, Mokokchung 10, Mon 9, Tuensang 8, Kiphire 6, Zunheboto 5 and Wokha 4 – recovered during the day.

The total death toll in the state due to Covid19 rose to 386 and the active cases to 4,832.

Phom said while the total caseload stood at 22,072, a total of 16,205 people recovered from the infection so far.

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He said there were 13 other deaths and 636 people migrated from the state.

Meanwhile, Kohima deputy commissioner Gregory Thejawelie on Wednesday directed all the district administrative officers under the district to disseminate information on any resistance/refusal to test by known contacts of Covid19 cases.

Such cases may henceforth be deemed to have violated the Nagaland Epidemic Disease (COVID19) Regulations 2020 and booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, he said.

Thejawelie said the testing for Covid19 has been on a substantial decrease in the past few weeks in Kohima district owing to the resistance of people to come forward for testing.

He stated that this could be due to fear of stigmatization or general resistance to get diagnosed.

Thejawelie said early testing/detection and isolation is one of the best tools to break the chain of infection and is highly beneficial in reducing the mortality due to Covid19.

“The total lockdown which the State Government has imposed will bear full dividends only if we supplement it with increased testing,” Thejawelie said.

 

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]