Nagaland News

Nagaland MLA, 6 Assembly staff test positive for coronavirus

Nagaland legislator Mhathung Yanthan and 53 others tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus on Wednesday

Sentinel Digital Desk

Guwahati: Nagaland legislator Mhathung Yanthan and 53 others tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus on Wednesday, July 30. This takes the state's total tally till date to 1,513, according to officials.

Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom informed that among the newly detected cases, 29 are from the worst-hit district of Dimapur and 19 are in Kohima.

Five cases were reported from Mon, the Health Minister added. Yanthan, who works as the advisor for Horticulture, tweeted that he has tested positive for COVID-19. He is the first legislator from Nagaland to have tested COVID- positive.

Yanthan, via a tweet, informed that while he tested positive, he was not exhibiting any symptoms, and was isolating himself at his home. "I am hopeful that I'll emerge healthier and stronger," he said.

The advisor for Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, MLA R Khing said that he underwent a test for COVID-19 as per the protocol for the upcoming Assembly session. While he tested negative, two of his support staff were found to be covid positive.

He said that following protocols and as a precautionary measure, he quarantined himself and will continue to work from home.

The two staff members who tested positive are undergoing treatment at a COVID Care Centre. Legislators, assembly secretariat staff and all those attending the one-day session on Thursday had to take the mandatory tests for Covid-19. Officials informed that among the new cases were also six staff members of the Assembly.

Nagaland has 913 active cases present, with 595 recovered patients and five deaths. According to government officials, four deaths were due to COVID-19, and one death was due to other ailments.

Eighteen patients recovered during the day. However, with the increase in active cases, the recovery rate further dropped to 39.32 percent. The maximum number of cases were reported from Dimapur where 576 people have tested positive to date, followed closely by Kohima with 427 cases, Peren with 252 cases, and Mon with 148. Kiphire is the only district to have not reported a single case.