33 new Covid cases in Manipur, state's total count rises to 145

Imphal, June 22 (IANS) Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Manipur, where 33 people, including women, tested positive for the virus on Sunday, taking the total cumulative cases in the northeastern state to 145, health officials said.

State health officials said that 101 samples were tested on Sunday and 33 samples were found positive for Covid-19 in three districts – Imphal West (27), Imphal East (3) and Thoubal (3).

According to the officials, of the total positive cases of 145 on Sunday, 103 were reported in Imphal West district, 29 in Imphal East district, six in Thoubal district, four in Bishnupur, two in Tengnoupal and one in Kakching district.

Except for the tribal-inhabited Tengnoupal district, the remaining five districts fall in the Imphal Valley region.

Manipur reported its first Covid case on June 9, when a 23-year-old woman tested positive for Covid-19 in Manipur, the first such case in the northeastern state in the current wave of the coronavirus infection.

At present, the Covid-19 positivity rate in Manipur stands at 32.7 per cent.

In all, 122 people with Covid positive cases remained in home quarantine.

Manipur Health Services Director Chambo Gonmei said that the woman hails from Bishnupur district and had developed Covid-like symptoms.

Her samples were tested at a private clinic in Imphal on June 5, and the results came on June 9.

Gonmei appealed to people to be on alert in view of the spread of the infection in other parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla earlier chaired a Covid-19 review meeting at the Raj Bhavan.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, senior medical officials from the state Health Department and other authorities.

The review was held in view of recent directives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on enhanced preparedness amid rising concerns of a possible Covid-19 resurgence.

A Raj Bhavan official had said that the health officials briefed the Governor on the state's preparedness, including diagnostics, protective equipment, oxygen supply, ICU and isolation wards, essential drugs, and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme-Integrated Health Information Platform portal.

Challenges related to testing capacity, medical supplies and hospital readiness were also discussed.

Governor Bhalla advised the importance of proactive measures, adequate medical infrastructure, and community awareness to ensure the state remains equipped to handle any potential surge in cases, the officials had said.

--IANS

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