The state government will rely on hospitalisation numbers in its decision-making process on whether to institute a Covid lockdown or not, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said today.
According to yesterday’s official figures, there were 50 people admitted to hospitals across the state due to Covid-19. This is a big jump relative to the end of last year but still much lower than it was at the height of the second wave. There are more than 1,000 hospital beds set aside for Covid patients in Meghalaya.
Omicron, according to data from outside the country, is also less likely to cause the severe illness that would require hospitalisation but this is not guaranteed.
A wide range of restrictions has been reintroduced in the state to keep Covid numbers down but the government is reluctant to bring in a full-scale lockdown again due to the dire economic impact it would have.
“We are seeing the [infection] numbers rise but it is important for the state to ensure that we look at the hospitalisation rates, the people who are in the ICU and people who require hospital beds,” Sangma said. “We’re seeing that Omicron results in lower hospitalisation rates compared to the last wave. Therefore, the government feels that things are very much under control at this point in time.”
He added that the state has enough hospital beds available and the authorities are keeping a close eye on the situation.
The Chief Minister urged the citizens to focus on two aspects – the need for vaccination and to follow Covid protocols on wearing masks, physical distancing and washing hands.
“A lot of people have come forward for the booster dose (the rollout of which began today),” Sangma added. “We are aggressively pursuing vaccination and we are hopeful that based on the ‘election mode’ drive we’re having, we should be able to cover more of the population soon.”
