Nagaland reports 3 COVID-19 positive cases; All 3 patients returned from Chennai on May 22

Kohima/Dimapur, May 25: Nagaland has reported first three confirmed cases of novel Corona virus on Monday. All the three positive patients had travelled from Chennai to Dimapur in the Special Train that reached Dimapur on May 22.
State officials said contact tracing is being carried out actively so as to prevent further spreading of the infection.
“Nagaland is no longer Green as three positive cases were detected Monday morning,” said Commissioner and Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department, Menukhol John.
He said that suspected COVID-19 samples of two male aged 26 and 20 and a 23 year old female tested positive and the reports were received this morning.
Two patients are undergoing treatment in COVID-19 hospital at Dimapur and one in Chedema COVID-19 hospital Kohima, he said adding that as of now their condition is stable.
Two of them have mild symptoms while one is asymptomatic, he said.
He said that the cases are not local but imported by travelers, who had reached the State in the first Shramik Express train from Chennai in Tamil Nadu on May 22 last.
“Our medical team is trying the best to contain the spread of the virus while aggressive surveillance and checking protocols of the returnees in the train has already started,” he said.
“Our appeal to the public is not to panic and also not to stigmatize our patients,” he said adding that their condition is stable at the moment.
Taking to twitter Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio said “unfortunately two persons in Dimapur and one in Kohima have been tested positive for COVID-19. Pleasd do not panic. We need to handle it with utmost care and responsibility. Necessary action of contact tracing and containment measures are being taken and situation closely monitored”.
Over 1328 stranded citizens of Nagaland from different parts of Tamil Nadu had arrived Dimapur railway station on May 22 last in the Shramik Train from Chennai.
On May 22 a special train carrying stranded Nagas from Chennai were segregated according to coach number of the symptomatic persons and all passengers in coach number 9 and 12 and in any other coach having symptoms identified were to be segregated separately from each other and also from other coach during reception, screening, fooding, transportation and allotment of quarantine centres.
The passengers nearest to the identified berth of the symptomatic person were segregate in groups during allotment of quarantine centre.
According to Chief Medical Officer, Dimapur Dr. Tiasunup Pongner the plan of action on May 22 was to evacuate the symptomatic persons to COVID-19 hospital by ambulance. The passengers from the coach of the symptomatic persons are to be evacuated first to the Agri Expo.
“No screening at railway station for coaches with symptomatic persons” the plan of action stated.
Further the rest of the evacuation plan was to be as per the previous plan of action.
Despite all these plan of action, there seems to be lapses while handling the returnees with symptomatic persons. It is yet to been known whether officials plan of action was executed by the officials on that day as positive cases have been detected from Kohima and Dimapur.
Interestingly media houses in the State had failed to highlight the plan of action issued by the CMO Dimapur. So also officials remained tightlipped over the plan of action on the returnees.
(Page News Service)