Number of cases will keep increasing: Health secy
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Aug 30: Arunachal on Sunday recorded its highest single day spike in Covid-19 with 157 new cases. Of these, 63 returnees from the Itanagar capital region (ICR) tested positive on arrival in eight districts across the state.
Of the 63 ICR returnees, 52 are personnel of the Arunachal Pradesh Police (APP) and eight are from the fire & emergency services who were deployed in the ICR in apprehension of law and order problems during the assembly session on 27 August.
While Changlang alone reported 46 positive cases among APP returnees, the ICR also reported 13 cases among personnel of the fire & emergency services.
On queries regarding the alarming increase in cases among the APP and fire services personnel, Health Secretary P Parthiban informed this daily: “The armed forces still contribute one-third of our numbers. Our SOP calls for free inter-district movement. So we do not test people/armed forces personnel who move between districts.”
“The number of cases will keep increasing. We cannot bring it down. We need to only focus on increasing the recovery rate. In July, we had an average of 60 to 80 cases. In August, we have an average of 100 to 120 cases. This will become 150 to 200 in September. Our focus should be more on testing and isolation of positive persons,” the health secretary said.
On 24 August, DGP RP Upadhyaya had claimed that the police had intelligence report of antisocial elements planning to indulge in arson and violence during the 36-hour bandh announced by the All Nyishi Youth Association on 27 and 28 August.
Twenty companies of the APP from various parts of the state were deployed on duty, besides 21 companies of central paramilitary forces by the home affairs ministry, he had informed.
However, the bandh was called off after the government addressed the demands of the association.
On Sunday, two cases each were detected in Lower Subansiri, Tirap and Tawang among the APP ICR returnees. Among the fire services personnel, West Siang and Lower Siang reported six and two cases, respectively.
Among the public who returned/arrived from the ICR, West Siang reported three cases, while Lower Dibang Valley and East Siang registered two and one cases each, respectively.
Additionally, the ICR reported nine cases from the Banderdewa check gate, one from the TRIHMS and one from the Kurung Kumey check gate.
Siang registered 19 cases in the central paramilitary forces (CPMF). Lower Siang detected eight cases among returnees from Assam and two cases in the CPMF.
The two other cases in West Siang are from the military.
Six other cases in Tawang are from the military and two are primary contacts.
East Siang reported additional cases among drivers (5) and handyman (1).
Tirap reported four cases in the IRBn, two from the flu clinic in the general hospital in Khonsa, and one a returnee from Assam.
All five cases in Upper Subansiri were reported from Daporijo town.
Upper Siang reported three cases. Two of them are frontline workers and one is a returnee from Assam.
All two cases in West Kameng tested positive at the Bhalukpong check gate.
In Shi-Yomi, one is a returnee from Likabali and one is a primary contact.
Papum Pare reported one case from the Hollongi check gate.
On Sunday, 68 people were discharged from various Covid care centres across the state.
