Guwahati: Nagaland has confirmed 90 positive cases for Covid-19 on Friday, July 23. Out of 237 samples examined, 90 positive cases of COVID-19 have been detected.
Of the 90 cases, 61 cases are from Kohima, 26 patients from Dimapur, 2 are from Peren and one is from Phek, confirmed the state's health minister S Pangnyu Phom.
Meanwhile, the District Task Force (DTF) has decided to impose a total lockdown in the Kohima municipality area from July 25-31. During this period, only stores selling commodities (including pharmacies) deemed as "essential" shall be allowed to operate between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. It has also been decided that the vegetable vendors shall only be able to sell their wares in their respective colonies.
The decision to resort to another lockdown has been taken in order to enhance the active surveillance by the CMO coordination team of Kohima and ensure more comprehensive contact tracing, early detection of suspected cases, and isolation measures to slow down the chain of the transmission process and to further contain the spread of the COVID-19 infection. This comes a day after the Nagaland Government chose not to impose a "total lockdown" in the state, despite calls from several quarters to do so.
The High-Powered Committee recently held an emergency meeting that was chaired by Neiphiu Rio, the Chief Minister. The demand for a total lockdown was discussed in the meeting, and the dignitaries said that a total lockdown is not a necessity in the state at this juncture.