Five more police personnel, including a lady assistant sub-inspector who came from Imphal and other four police personnel of Jiribam police station, tested positive of COVID-19, as per reports released from state COVID-19 control room on Tuesday late evening.
Speaking to the Imphal Free Press over the phone, one B David Sharma of Uchathol, Jiribam district told that most of the COVID-19 infected persons in Jiribam are from the district itself. The government needs to take extra precautionary measures for the families of the persons who have contracted the disease, he said.
David, who is also one of the members of Uchathol local club, reported that some of the family members of COVID-19 infected persons went to district hospital by themselves and underwent tests for COVID-19. He said that the family members are seen roaming on the streets and when he enquired about their test results, they replied that their results are yet to come.
He said the number of infected persons is increasing and urged the government to take necessary precautionary measures before community level transmission occurs in the district.
He also said the people of the district particularly in the town area have been suffering to get essential commodities as the whole town has been under lockdown. “Even the ATM booths are shut down, though I have money in my account from where can we withdraw the money to buy food,” said David.
To get food and essential items, the people have to contact shops privately and get the items, he added.
After 28 police personnel were tested positive, another nine police personnel including village defense force tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Later, as per late Tuesday’s result issued from state COVID-19 control room, five samples i.e. a lady assistant sub-inspector and four police personnel of the said district tested positive.
Jiribam being a border town, the police personnel had been facing various challenges in fighting the pandemic. Most of the personnel infected by the disease were posted at the railway station since the month of May to monitor the returnees who came from various parts of the state on trains.
Our Jiribam correspondent adds, a five-member medical department team from Imphal led by its joint director Dr S Susheta Devi on Tuesday visited Jiribam to open a Covid Care centre and to monitor rising positive cases of COVID-19 in the district.
They flew on a helicopter and landed at Harinagar helipad in the morning. The team consists of Dr Ksh Roshan, Dr AK Brogen , Dr Y Premchandra and Shyamkishore Sharma. Susheta said, In the past few days, 29 police personnel were tested positive of COVID-19. We are here to take up preventive measures and to find out logistic, manpower and training requirements for opening a Covid Care centre."
Meantime, the people residing nearby Jiribam District Hospital, Uchathol on Tuesday staged a demonstration, demanding to open a Covid Care centre at a suitable place instead of opening the centre at the hospital.
The protestors expressed that they welcome the step of opening a Covid Care centre but it should not be established at the hospital. In this regard, a memorandum has been submitted to the chief minister, they added. A protestor, Sarada Devi appealed not to convert the only hospital of the district to a Covid Care centre as Jiribam people are against it and suggested to open it at Model School.
