After Tripura, now Meghalaya has a reason to worry after witnessing the rise in the number of COVID19 positive cases among the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.
So far, the number of BSF personnel who tested positive for COVID19 has gone up to five, after two more jawans tested positive on Wednesday in Shillong.
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With the two new cases, the number of active cases in the state has risen to 12.
The wife of a BSF jawan, who is a driver, also tested positive for the virus.
Earlier, Tripura recorded hundreds of BSF personnel who were infected by the virus.
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However, the Meghalaya government has urged the citizens not to panic, and denied community transmission of the virus in the state.
Director of health services (MI), Dr Aman War said 87 high risk contacts have been established after the contact tracing of five infected BSF personnel was carried out.
“The two BSF troopers were high risk contacts of a BSF driver who had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days ago,” War said.
Meghalaya health minister AL Hek said while one of the infected BSF jawans stays within the BSF camp, the other stays in a rented house outside the camp.
Hek informed that the area close to the BSF camp has been declared a ‘containment zone’.
“The entire area of the BSF Meghalaya Frontier headquarters is already isolated,” Hek said.
Hek informed that out of 19,646 swab samples sent for COVID19 test so far, 19,404 samples were found negative, and the results for 189 tests are awaited.
Deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said meetings were held with the BSF officials and other paramilitary forces and reiterated the need that the Union Home Ministry should keep on hold transfer and posting of armed forces personnel and other employees at this moment.
Asked about random testing of citizens to contain the spread of the disease, Tynsong ruled out random testing in the state at the moment.
“The state government is waiting for feedbacks from the deputy commissioners, district medical health officers and others on this issue,” Tynsong said.