Nagaland’s weekly Covid positivity rate stood at 1.6% with 54 cases reported from 3,439 samples tested from January 1 to January 7.

Of the new cases, 50 percent were from random and self-test while 35 percent were from travelers, the health and family welfare department said in its weekly bulletin.

Dimapur witnessed a spike in positive cases during the week as 49 fresh cases out of 54 were reported from the district, marking a 100 percent increase in the weekly new cases.

Though the overall weekly sample positivity rate of the state stood at 1.6%, the weekly positivity rate in Dimapur was 2%, the department said.

In view of the rising number of cases, the department has requested the citizens to avoid crowded places and practice Covid appropriate behaviour.

It also asked those who are yet to get vaccinated to get inoculated at the earliest.

Stating that vaccines for the 15-18 age group are now available, the department asked all eligible teenagers to get vaccinated. Altogether, 401 teenagers have been vaccinated so far.

The weekly report of the department also said 61% of the state’s eligible population has been vaccinated with the first dose and 46% with the second dose.

A total of 13.42 lakh doses of vaccine have been administered in the state so far.

The department informed that the precautionary dose for healthcare and frontline workers and those over 60 years of age with co-morbidities will commence from January 10 onwards.

It said the precautionary Covid-19 vaccine dose will be the same vaccine as has been given previously.

It said the private hospitals that function as community vaccination centre can vaccinate their staff at their respective hospitals.

It added that the hospitals can provide the precautionary dose to their staff who are eligible free of cost or can be charged.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]