Two more fatalities from Covid-19 were reported in Meghalaya today, taking the death toll from the virus to 48.
Phomti Phawa (51), a cancer patient who was admitted to Shillong Civil Hospital Shillong on September 25, died yesterday morning of Covid-19. Dil Bahadur Thapa (55), of Lad Rymbai, East Jaiñtia Hills, who was admitted on September 13 to NEIGRIHMS, died earlier that same morning. His cause of death was cardiac respiratory arrest with Covid-19 pneumonia, stroke and hypertension.
The Health Department today also provided details on the three fatalities recorded yesterday. Firstborn Marbaniang (64) of Riatsamthiah, who was admitted to Shillong Civil Hospital on September 24, died of cardiac pulmonary arrest with Covid-19. He was also a cancer patient.
Sanjay Singh Muktam (36), of Ri-Bhoi, who tested positive for the virus and suffered from chronic kidney disease, died at Shillong Civil Hospital.
Another cancer patient, Knesman Nongsiej, had come from Guwahati and was admitted to Shillong Civil Hospital on September 24. He passed away due to Covid-19 pneumonia with acute respiratory distress.
Meanwhile, there were 101 new cases of Covid-19 in the state and 72 recoveries, taking the number of active cases to 1,476.
With 40 new infections, Garo Hills has now had 1,009 Covid-19 cases, with West Garo Hills (752) accounting for almost three-fourths of that total. In contrast, cases in Khasi-Jaiñtia Hills (including Ri-Bhoi) total 4,454, with East Khasi Hills (3,575) reporting the most.
The number of active cases in West Garo Hills has gone up by more than 80 percent since September 24 from 85 to the current 154. There are 48 active cases spread across the other four Garo Hills districts.
Of the 101 new infections, East Khasi Hills recorded 54 (five armed forces/paramilitaries, 49 civilians), West Garo Hills 37 (12 jawans, 25 civilians), West Jaiñtia Hills four, Ri-Bhoi and South West Khasi Hills two each and East Garo Hills and East Jaiñtia Hills one each.
In East Khasi Hills 42 of the new infections are high-risk contacts, one is a health worker, one is from the Golf Links cluster, one is from the Jhalupara cluster, one from the Mawprem cluster, one from the Khyndailad cluster and one from the Rilbong cluster. There were 24 new cases among high-risk contacts in West Garo Hills along with one returnee.
Of the 72 new recoveries, East Khasi Hills accounted for 54 (2 jawans, 52 civilians), West Garo Hills nine (all jawans), East Jaiñtia Hills four, East Garo Hills three and Ri-Bhoi two.
East Khasi Hills now has 942 active cases, East Jaiñtia Hills 213, West Garo Hills 154, Ri-Bhoi 96, North Garo Hills 23, South West Garo Hills 13, West Jaiñtia Hills 12, East Garo Hills 10, West Khasi Hills eight, South West Khasi Hills three and South Garo Hills two.
The number of samples sent for testing till date is 1,48,298, out of which 1,42,835 tested negative. A total of 42,170 people have also entered Meghalaya since coronavirus restrictions came into force.
