The Meghalaya government has denied community spread of Coronavirus in Shillong city, though eight persons who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday are high risk contacts of attendees of the wedding party at Greenwood Resort in Guwahati.
Meghalaya health minister A L Hek told reporters on Saturday that 47 new positive cases were detected which include 30 BSF personnel, and 17 civilians including eight persons who are the high risk contacts of the persons who attended the wedding party at Greenwood Resort.
A nurse and one lady who attended her sick child in NEIGRIHMS have also tested positive.
The wedding party was organised at Greenwood Resort in Guwahati on June 27 where 41 persons from Shillong had attended the party, and another marriage reception was held in Shillong on July 2.
Two of out 41 persons had also tested positive.
Apart from the two wedding attendees, who tested positive recently, now the chain of positive cases has started spreading from these wedding attendees.
The government however denied community spread of COVID-19 especially in Shilong city.
Many in Shillong anticipated that the virus has already started spreading to the community as the wedding attendees had mingled with different persons in different locations of Shillong after they returned to Shillong from the wedding party in Guwahati.
The public are also pointing finger at the government as to why five car passes were issued by the district administration to these people allowing them to go to Guwahati to attend the wedding, especially after witnessing the surge of COVID-19 positive cases in Assam including Guwahati city.
Hek said that with 47 new positive cases, the number of active cases has gone up from 189 to 236.
Combining the 236 active cases with 45 persons who have recovered, and two deaths, Meghalaya recorded a total of 283 cases so far.
Hek said that till date, 159 BSF personnel have tested positive for Coronavirus in Meghalaya.
As on Saturday, a total of 23,454 samples have been sent for test, out of which, 22,902 samples tested negative, and 290 test results are awaited.
An official in the government admitted that the rise of positive cases among the high risk contacts of the wedding attendees, is a big cause of worry for the government, as it may spread further to the community.