Dimapur, April 23: Out of a total 607 suspected COVID-19 samples sent for testing from Nagaland till date, 543 samples have tested negative while result of 64 samples sent on Thursday are awaited. A total of 1423 persons were also screened on Thursday.
In Nagaland, 106 persons are kept under facility quarantine for COVID-19.
In his briefing on COVID-19 status in the State, Minister Neiba Kronu informed that with regards to the surveillance activities in the containment zone in Dimapur in connection with the COVID-19 positive person from Dimapur detected in Guwahati, more than 5164 persons have been interviewed, covering 909 households as of April 23. So far, a total of 382 samples sent from Dimapur District in connection with the positive case have tested negative.
Kronu also informed that the State Government has decided that any working journalist who suffers fatality due to COVID-19 while performing his/her professional duties in Nagaland will be paid an ex-gratia amount of Rs 10 lakhs.
He informed that for the safety of health care personnel, the Government of India has amended the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 by the Epidemic Disease (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 in which any person indulging in any act of violence against healthcare personnel, which includes, doctors, nurses, paramedical workers and any community health worker, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 3 months, but which may extend to 5 years, and with fine, which shall not be less than Rs 50,000, but which may extend to Rs 2 lakh.
Further, whoever causes grievous hurt as defined in section 320 of the IPC, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 6 months, but which may extend to 7 years and with fine, which shall not be less than Rs 1 lakh, but which may extend to Rs 5 lakh. (Page News Service)
