All Covid-19 cases since April this year are ‘delta variant’

Shillong, Aug 7: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Health and Family Welfare department, Prestone Tynsong on Saturday informed that the Covid-19 cases detected in the state since the onset of the second wave of the pandemic in April have all been of the “delta variant”.

Briefing media persons after a review meeting, Tynsong said that while one infected person during the first wave could infect at least three others, it has doubled during the second wave with one infected person spreading the virus to six others in the least.

“It (delta) is very dangerous that’s why till date the cases are still increasing because those infected think that the first and the second wave are the same,” he said.

Stating that the delta variant was much more infectious, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the government has tried its best to control the disease but it alone cannot manage it.

“We need the cooperation of each and every citizen of the state to strictly follow the protocols,” he underscored.

Tynsong also rued the fact that the citizens do not seem to understand that the virus spreads faster even as he called upon the stakeholders like the traditional institutions and the Covid management committees to concentrate in their respective areas to curb the virus.

The Deputy Chief Minister also pointed out that the Covid-19 positivity rate in the State is 10 percent which is worrying for the government even as he stated that Assam has a positivity rate of below one percent.

Tynsong also pointed out that the only way out of this situation is that citizens should get vaccinated. According to him only 45 percent of the citizens in the state are vaccinated.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the government has a dedicated team of doctors and nurses going to villages to remove fear psychosis.

“All out services have been provided by government and health workers to make sure people come out and vaccinate,” Tynsong said.