Cases of Covid-19 in West Jaiñtia Hills increased by 47 per cent in a single day with 26 new infections reported in the district today.
West Jaiñtia Hills had 55 reported cases of Covid-19 before today but this went up by 26 in the past 24 hours, all of whom were high-risk contacts of positive patients.
Meanwhile, there was one more fatality from the disease reported in Shillong, that of Ramdhan Chanda (75), of Laban. He had been admitted to Bethany Hospital on October 7 and passed away today morning. He was diagnosed with Covid-19 pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury, hypertension and obstructive uropathy.
His death is the 57th in the district and 64 in Meghalaya overall.
There was an overall reduction in the number of active cases in the state, with 88 new infections reported versus 131 recoveries. This was the first day this month where fewer than 100 new infections were recorded. There are now 2,434 active cases in Meghalaya, with 5,273 recoveries and 7,771 total infections reported since the first in April.
Fifty of the new cases were in East Khasi Hills (one armed forces/paramilitary, 49 civilians), with 26 in West Jaiñtia Hills, 10 in West Garo Hills and one each in Ri-Bhoi and East Jaiñtia Hills.
Of the new cases in East Khasi Hills 18 were of high-risk contacts, nine of Home Guards, three of police and one had a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Among the various clusters, six new cases were reported in Jaiaw, five in Madanrting and one each in Laban, Mawlai Mawdatbaki, Mawlai Mawroh, Mawlai Motsyiar, Mawlai Nongpdeng, Mawprem and Rilbong.
Of the recoveries 86 were recorded in East Khasi Hills (nine jawans, 77 civilians), 11 each in South West Garo Hills and South West Khasi Hills, seven in Ri-Bhoi, six in North Garo Hills, five in East Jaiñtia Hills, four in West Garo Hills and one in West Jaiñtia Hills.
There are a total of 1,659 people in quarantine in the state – 861 in institutional quarantine and 798 at home.