Address prevailing impasse, contain spread of virus, Zeliang tells Rio

Dimapur, July 1 (EMN): With Covid-19 cases continuing to increase in Peren district, the leader of opposition, TR Zeliang, has sought the attention of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, requesting him to “initiate immediate necessary action” to arrest further spread of the virus.

It is unfortunate that Peren has become among the worst-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, wrote Zeliang, while reminding the June 3 incident where a positive case was sent to the district from Dimapur along with 16 other returnees. He added that no action has been initiated on the matter despite representation from the JAC on Covid-19 asking for action on the erring personnel and the subsequent ultimatum served by the Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Nagaland.

“The alarmingly high number of Covid-19 positive cases detected from among the 96 Haryana returnees, 54 males and 42 females who are now settled in their respective villages under Peren district, portrays a perilous future for all of us,” the former chief minister wrote.

He said that the returnees, who had arrived Peren from quarantine centres in Dimapur, were sent to their respective villages without completion of their 14-day quarantine and without ascertaining their Covid-19 status at the district-level. He went on to claim that their samples were collected only after reaching their respective villages and sent to BSL-3 lab in Kohima for testing; out of which “many tested positive while more results are awaited”.

“The prevailing impasse has to be addressed by the state government on priority basis and unless immediate necessary measures are adopted to contain the spread of the virus, community transmission may unfortunately become a reality very soon,” he added.