Mizoram health minister Dr R. Lalthangliana on Monday said the state is reeling under its worst Covid-19 surge and the rate of Covid-19 infection is “extremely alarming.”
Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, the health minister said that the Covid-19 positive cases have increased exponentially since April this year.
The state’s Covid-19 case trajectory showed a sharp upward movement as in April, 1,655 cases were reported, which increased to 6,268 in May, 8,093 in June and further up to 18,433 cases in July, he said.
He said that 360 Covid-19 cases were reported in the state between January and March.
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According to him, the majority of the Covid-19 cases were reported from the Aizawl district, especially within Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) area.
The state has so far reported 151 Covid-19 fatalities, of which 118 were from Aizawl district, he said.
According to the health minister, the alarming growth rate of COvid-19 cases in the Aizawl district has compelled the state government to extend total lockdown in the AMC area for another seven days till August 7.
“Even though we have great concern for the economic impact of lockdown on people, especially daily labourers and traders, the extension of lockdown in AMC area was significantly unavoidable to break the chain of transmission,” Lalthangliana said, adding it was a collective decision by the state government, churches, NGOs, local leaders and medical experts.
Amid rising cases, the state also grapples with a shortage of healthcare facilities, he said.
The state’s lone Covid-19 dedicated hospital- Zoram Medical College (ZMC) is congested with Covid-19 patients, he said.
The health minister alleged that consignments of Covid-19 related materials and medicines are stranded in Assam’s Cachar district due to blockade clamped in the Barak Valley region.
Earlier on Monday, Mizoram health minister wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister Mansuk Mandavya informing them about medical supplies being stranded in the Lailapur-Dholai area on National Highway-306 and sought the Centre’s intervention to lift the blockade.
He has also written to Assam health minister Keshab Mahanta over the matter.
State spokesperson on Covid-19 Dr, Pachuau Lalmalsawma said that 98.4 per cent of the total Covid-19 cases were “locally transmitted” cases, while the rest 1.6 per cent were imported cases (patients with travel history. Mizoram on Monday reported 438 Covid-19 cases, pushing the state’s tally to 39,363.
The number of active cases now stands at 11,841, while 27,371 people have recovered from the infection.
At least 151 people have succumbed to the infection so far.
