By Imna Longchar
Dimapur(Nagaland) , May 15 : The 7 days state-wide lockdown in Nagaland which came into force from 6 p.m. on May 14 has brought normal live to a standstill.
All activities and movement of the people, except for those exempted have been prohibited during theperiod, including those to buy grocery, bakery items, vegetables, fish, milk and animal feeds, they are permitted from 6 a.m. till 12 noon.
On Saturday, many of the “hustle-bustle” markets were closed with only few shoppers seen while the most busiest roads of Nagaland’s commercial hub, Dimapur, also wore a deserted look.
Though there were no reports of any untoward incidents during on the first day, police personnel wereseen enforcing the lockdown in Dimapur town while strict measures were taken at entry and exit points to prohibit people from going out and coming into the town.
The State high powered committee on Covid-19 announced statewide weeklong total lockdown on May 11 till May 21 due to surge in Covid positive cases in the State.
The village and colony authorities are assisting the district administrations in ensuring strict
compliance of the lockdown.
Though shops have been allowed to open on May 17, 19 and 21 in Kohima, wholesalers in BOC, Supermarket and High School area are permitted to open from 6 am to 12 noon to maintain the supply chain to the shops in the colonies/wards and the villages.
Meanwhile, agriculture production commissioner I. Kikheto Sema, along with other officials, today identified a government building here to convert it into a 100-bed Covid hospital.
Hospital beds in all the government and private hospitals dedicated for Covid patients in Dimapur have almost exhausted due to the continuing surge of Covid-19 cases in the district.
The APC, who has been tasked by the State Government to coordinate with the Dimapur District Task Force(DDTF) for immediate requirements with regard to Covid activities, directed the district administration, Power, PHE, Housing departments to ready the building within a week’s time and the Medical department to make the new 100-bed Covid hospital functional within 10 days.
He disclosed that beds in the new Covid hospital would be increased to 250 to 300 in the same premises as and when the situation demands.
He said the State Government decided to withdraw one doctor and two nurses from each district hospital,excluding Kohima district, totaling nine doctors and 18 nurses to man the hospital. He also said the services of retired doctors and nurses may be required to work for humanity.
Sema said serious patients would be kept in Dimapur Covid hospital, Referral Hospital and other private hospitals with ICU facilities while the patients with mild to moderate symptoms needing hospitalisation would be kept in the new Covid hospital, he said.
The Dimapur district health authorities have also decided to conduct random sampling for Covid-19 tests in various earmarked locations starting May 17 to 21.
Meanwhile,Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dimapur, Dr. I. Moatemjen, in an order, has asked the heads of all contact tracing teams to coordinate with the colony/village authorities of the areas that have been earmarked for the random sampling.
