Nagaland health minister goes into self-isolation after staff members test positive for COVID-19

Guwahati: Nagaland Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom today informed that some of his supporting staff members, bodyguards, and house guards have tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus.

Phom, who revealed the information via a tweet, stated that he will now be under self-isolation and continue to work from his house.

"Some of the supporting staffs, 2 bodyguards & 4 house guards have been detected positive of COVID-19. Have taken necessary precautionary measures and my official residence has been sealed as per the SOPs. I will be under self-isolation, however, will continue to work from home", Phom said in a tweet.

Phom's staff members are among the 82 persons who have tested positive for the dreaded COVID-19 today. Of these fresh cases, 58 were found in Dimapur, 22 in Kohima, and 2 in Phek. Contact tracing has been activated and all primary contacts are under self-isolation, informed the Nagaland health minister.

This is not the first time that a prominent Nagaland leader's staff have tested positive for the dreaded virus.

Yesterday, two staff members of Governor's House (Raj Bhavan) in Kohima, Nagaland, tested positive for the dreaded Covid-19.

The Twitter handle of the Raj Bhavan, Kohima put out a notification on Wednesday informing about the detection of the virus among its staffers. The notification further said that the rest of the members were subjected to testing and tested negative. The Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for Covid-19 is in place, it informed.

Later, another tweet sent out from the official handle of the Raj Bhavan informed that none of the others on the premises had tested positive for the contagion.

On July 30, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio went into home quarantine after a few persons at his residential complex tested positive for the dreaded virus.

A single Nagaland legislator, Mhathung Yanthan, has tested positive for the dreaded COVID-19 on July 30. 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.

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