Nagaland government spokesperson and planning and coordination minister Neiba Kronu on Tuesday said the farming operations across the state have been exempted from the lockdown provisions.
“This being the sowing season, our farmers may hence, as per the need, come out of their homes, go to the fields and carry out all the essential farming activities, while maintaining social distancing,” Kronu said while briefing on the COVID19 situation in the state.
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He sought the cooperation of each and everyone in the fight against the pandemic.
He said the State Cabinet on Tuesday in its meeting reviewed in detail the preparedness of the health department of the state for the COVID19 pandemic.
Minister Kronu said the department had been asked to further strengthen and bring about improvements so as to cover all the gaps that may be still existing in its overall preparedness for preventing and managing the virus in the state.
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Kronu said the state government is fast-tracking the establishment of a BSL 3 lab at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima and a BSL 2 lab at Referral Hospital in Dimapur which will help in testing the samples of the suspected cases in the state itself.
As of 5 pm on Tuesday, he said, the total number of samples of suspected cases sent for testing from the state stood at 61. Out of these, the results of 48 have been received and they were all found negative.
The results of 13 samples are awaited, he added.
Kronu also said a total of 5,069 persons have signed up in the Covid-19 Nagaland App till now, where 3,590 persons have self-declared their details and 1,479 are with incomplete details.
The government reiterated its appeal to those who have entered the state after March 6 to self-register in the app with their full details.
“Today is the 14th day of the lockdown and all our citizens deserve our fulsome praise for their continued support for the various lockdown measures,” he said.
In a separate press conference in Kohima on Tuesday, principal secretary health and family welfare Menukhol John said all the districts hospitals are in the state being converted into COVID19 hospitals.
He said the health department has issued instructions to all the dedicated COVID19 hospitals to continue catering to the regular OPD cases till COVID19 patients are detected.
John added that the moment COVID19 cases are found, the general patients already admitted in the district hospitals will be relocated to the nearest health unit.
On the transporters and carriers coming in and out of the state, he said screenings are done and their movements are being monitored on a daily basis.