Staff CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Meghalaya has officially declared that the State is COVID-19 free after the last of the positive patient was tested negative. The official announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong at a press briefing in Shillong on Monday evening.
"We would like to inform and declare that our State is free from the covid virus after a series of tests carried out on the last patient", stated the Deputy Chief Minister. He alluded to the 13 positive cases registered since the second week of April, where only one fell prey to the disease.
"All the twelve are healthy and fine", stated Tynsong while exhorting the public to restrain themselves from being complacent. He urged people to maintain the standard operating protocols like social distancing, hygiene and to stay indoors, besides others.
Informing further about the random tests being carried out by the team of medics and para medics throughout the State, the Deputy Chief Minister informed that 3,207 samples have been sent for testing, out of which 2,283 have been found to be negative and the results of 311 test samples are awaited.
While Meghalaya is now a COVID- free State, questions doing the rounds is what's next with more and more students and working professionals returning from other States. Altogether, 6,565 of them have reached the State till this evening and more are expected to reach in the coming days. "While we welcome them, directions are being given, especially to go for a mandatory 14 days quarantine", stated Tynsong besides adding that there are 7,000-odd COVID committees that are in place to ensure an all out adherence. These committees are at the grassroot level and are being monitored and supervised by the district administrations. So far, the State has not been declared a Green Zone, but the government is optimistic that the green colour will not be too long if people follow the protocols.