Demand for 'total lockdown' rising in Kohima amid rise in COVID-19 cases

Guwahati: Even though the number of COVID-19 cases from outside the different quarantine centres is increasing in the Nagaland capital Kohima giving rise to apprehensions of a "community spread" of the dreaded virus, the Government is yet to call for a lockdown.

The tension among the residents of Kohima reached an all-time high yesterday after the detection of 6 positive cases where 4 of the cases were from outside the quarantine centres of the 3 wards under Kohima Municipal Area. Out of the 6 cases, it is said that only two of the cases are from quarantine centres within the state capital: K Badze and Jakhama Army QC.

After the news of 4 positive cases, it can be said that coronavirus has started transmitting outside the quarantine centres and have reached areas in the capital such as Naga Bazaar, Chandmari, Daklane, Keziekie, PWD, Jotsoma village and D'Block.

The Kohima District Task Force (DTF) later sealed 3 colonies after the detection of 3 COVID-19 cases. Greegory Thejawelie, Kohima Deputy Commissioner of Kohima later said that the areas -- Naga Bazaar (Ward No. 4), D-Block (Ward No.6), Lower Chandmari (Ward No. 13) -- have been marked as sealed areas in order to prevent the virus' spread.

On July 9, the Kohima District Task Force (DTF) proposed the imposition of total lockdown for at least a week in order to detect the suspected areas, keep a check on the surveillance in order to prevent the transmission to newer areas. But this proposal of total lockdown was rejected by a high powered-committee of the State Government under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister as 'not warranted'.

The Association of Kohima Municipal Wards Panchayat (AKMWP) President Neibulie Kiewhuo and General Secretary Thejao Sekhose also appealed to the State Government on July 8 for the imposition of total lockdown within the state to control the spread of coronavirus.

Till date, Kohima has registered a total of 193 confirmed COVID-19 cases -- the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima has 82 cases, Chedema has 36, Jakhama Army Hospital has 72 cases and Chieswema (Tsiesema) Assam Rifles has 3 cases.

Two out of the four positive cases that were reported on Sunday are said to be sanitation employees working as frontline workers amidst the pandemic in keeping the state clean, sources from Kohima Municipal Council revealed. Two other cases are contacts of patients who have been detected as COVID-19 positive earlier.

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