3 women test positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, total at 17

Three women who recently returned to Mizoram tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 17, a senior official said.

The women, one each from Lunglei, Mamit and Saitual districts, were found to be positive in the early hours of the day, health department spokesperson on COVID-19 Pachuau Lalmalsawma told PTI.

The three new patients were at institutional quarantine facilities since their arrival to the state, he said, refusing to share details of their travel history to avoid panic among other returnees.

The three patients, aged 19, 22 and 49, are out of danger, he said.

On Monday night, at least 12 people who returned from Delhi and Kolkata tested positive for coronavirus infection. Another 30-year-old woman was found positive on Wednesday.

There are 16 active cases in the state at present, while a patient recovered and was discharged from the Zoram Medical College on May 9.

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Pachuau, who is also the state's nodal officer of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and the lone epidemiologist, said the government is taking steps to increase the number of tests among the people who returned from containment zones.

"Priority will be given to symptomatic persons, those who came in contact with COVID-19 patients and show reactive in the rapid antibody tests," he said.

Hundreds of stranded people arrived at Bairabi from Maharashtra on Wednesday night, an official said.

He said that the stranded people, who travelled on a special train from Mumbai, deboarded at Guwahati and were transported by buses to their respective districts.

The total number of the returnees is yet to be ascertained, he said.

The returnees, on their arrival at Bairabi, pooled together Rs 62,580 and donated it to the Bairabi joint village-level task force as a token of gratitude for their services, he added. 

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