Northeast has its first corona positive case

Guwahati: Manipur on Tuesday detected its first case of coronavirus with a 23-year-old student who had returned from the United Kingdom testing positive. This makes it the first case in the northeast.

All the northeastern states have been put under lockdown. The international border with Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh has been sealed.

The Manipur patient has been put under isolation at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal. Her family members have been quarantined, and are to be tested for the Covid-19 virus. The authorities are tracing other people who may have come in contact with the woman.

The director of health services of Manipur, K Rajo Singh requests such contacts to get in touch with health officials and start self-isolation. The department has released mobile numbers on which they can ask for assistance.

Assam health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Tuesday that in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the state’s annual budget may have to be changed.

Sarma said in the Assembly, “We don’t know how the COVID-19 crisis will unfold. (we) have to be prepared to change the budgetary allocations if needed.”

With the state going into an eight-day complete lockdown from Tuesday, the minister said a curfew might be called if the lockdown doesn’t work.

The state estimates that around 20,000 separate beds may be needed in the state if there be a coronavirus breakout. Though no coronavirus positive case has been reported in Assam yet, the health minister said the administration is geared up to handle the situation.