Shillong, June 3: Meghalaya has been registering a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases with arrival of returnees, mostly from ‘red zones’ elsewhere in the country with the state recording three more new cases on Wednesday taking the total tally up to 33 so far.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Alexander Laloo Hek informed that three residents include two from East Khasi Hills district and one from West Jaintia Hills district.

“They have returned to Meghalaya from Agra in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa,” he said, adding that two of them are admitted in Corona Care Centre in Shillong and the patient in Corona Care Centre in Jowai, the district headquarters of West Jaintia Hills.

West Jaiñtia Hills is the newest district, which has recorded COVID-19 positive case.

Hek also informed that the first COVID-19 patient from West Garo Hills district has recovered after the person swab samples tested negative.

With these new detections, Meghalaya has so far recorded 33 cases, out of which, 19 are active, and 13 have fully recovered while one had died on April 15.

Hek informed that of the 9,344 samples sent for testing, 8,933 were negative, while results of 320 were awaited.

Till Wednesday afternoon, 12,257 residents of Meghalaya who had been stranded in other parts of the country due to the lock-down returned to the state, he informed.

“All returnees will have to undergo temperature screening, Rapid Test Kit and RT PCR if they have come from high risk areas outside the state. Various screening points have been set up across the State. Districts also have been empowered to handle entrants in case of need,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone told reporters

For those whose transportation is arranged by State, they are kept at quarantine facilities until the results arrive.

After receiving test reports the negative cases are advised home quarantine for 14 days, he said, adding that home visits are being conducted by the district surveillance units along with Community COVID Management teams.

The positive cases are either kept at quarantine centers or shifted to COVID-19 Hospitals and contact tracing is carried out by the district surveillance units.