A CORRESPONDENT
HAFLONG: Dima Hasao is no longer a corona-free district of Assam as Chief Executive Member of NC Hills Autonomous Council, Debolal Gorlosa disclosed that seven people returning from Chennai and also from Tripura tested positive for COVID-19 at Haflong. Gorlosa, along with Samuel Changsan, Executive Member in-charge Medical and Health, visited all the quarantine centres like Siksha Bhawan, Haflong Hotel and JNV on Saturday to take stock of the facilities being provided and also met the inmates of the quarantine centres.
The CEM, while addressing the media, appealed to the people of Dima Hasao not to panic but to follow strict social distancing norms. The CEM visited the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sontila and Haflong Hotel quarantine facility centres. Utpal Mishra of Langting travelled by Rajdhani Express to Ambasa, entereing the district on May 19; Roshan Thapa of Umrangso, Kideube Zeme of Hewangberan Mahur, Heluiheube Pame of Lodi, Deiangbe Zeme of P Songkhai, Mahur, Pauheujimbe Riame of Laisong and Semiom Zeme of P Songkhai, Mahur, all of them came from Chennai and entered the district on May 16 and May 18. They all were put in quarantine centres. Their samples were collected on May 20. More than 250 persons returning from various places like Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru are also in the quarantine centres in Dima Hasao.
Joint Director Health Services, Dr. Dipali Barman, said, "Although seven people have tested positive, they are all from quarantine centres. They had recently returned home by train. All seven of them are in good health condition and belong to young age group between 22 and 26 years." The Haflong Market was closed down immediately after detection of the positive cases and Haflong Hotel, located very near the market, was designated a quarantine centre that had to be sanitized by the Haflong Municipal Board.