Meghalaya: One more dies of COVID-19, death toll rises to 59

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 5, 2020

A 55-year-old man, who tested positive for COVID-19, died at the NEIGRIHMS hospital, taking the death toll to 59 on Monday, even as 111 new cases were detected, taking the count to 2,217.

Manoranjan Deb, a resident of Mawbah, who was admitted at COVID ICU of NEIGRIHMS on September 26, died on Sunday evening after his health deteriorated, Director of Health Services (MI), Dr Aman War said.

“The patient had a cardiac arrest and was declared dead at 4.38 pm yesterday. The immediate cause of death was due to type-I respiratory failure with COVID pneumonia, diabetes mellitus and hypertension,” he said.

The senior medical officer informed that the fresh cases include 72 from East Khasi Hills district, 19 from Ri Bhoi district, 10 from East Jaintia Hills district, 6 from West Garo Hills district, 2 from West Jaintia Hills district, 1 from South West Garo Hills district and 1 from South West Khasi Hills district.

He said there were also four health workers, who contracted the infection, which include two doctors from NEIGRIHMS, 1 doctor from Dr H Gordon Robert hospital and his wife.

He also said about 37 Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces cases have been transferred from East Khasi Hills to Ri Bhoi district.

Out of the 98 recovered COVID-19 patients, Dr War said, 82 are from East Khasi Hills, 7 from Ri Bhoi, 5 from East Jaintia Hills, 3 from West Garo Hills and 1 from West Khasi Hills.

He said 4,491 COVID-19 patients have been discharged as on date.

The state has detected a total of 6,767 COVID-19 out of which 2,217 are active cases, 4,491 recovered and 59 deaths.

East Khasi Hills district tops the list of districts in positive cases with 1,566 infections, that include 32 Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces and 1,534 civilians, followed by Ri Bhoi 274 and West Garo Hills 198.

In the other districts, 38 cases are in East Jaintia Hills, 37 in South West Garo Hills, 30 in West Jaintia Hills, 24 in North Garo Hills, 16 in South West Khasi Hills, 14 in East Garo Hills, 10 in West Khasi Hills, and 10 in South Garo Hills.

“Till date, swab samples of 1, 60,779 persons have been tested of which 1,54,012 were found negative,” the medical official said.

There are 44,218 entrants from outside the state, he said.