Shillong: With only 44, Meghalaya has the least number of COVID-19 cases among all the states, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Tuesday.
The state has also not registered any spike in the number of coronavirus cases for the last six days.
Two more persons recovered from COVID-19, reducing the number of active cases in Meghalaya to 15 on Tuesday, and the total number of cases reported in the northeastern state is 44 -- most of them returnees -- with one casualty.
"Meghalaya has the least number of cases in the country and has adopted the best model to break the virus chain in the northeastern region and in the country," Tynsong told reporters.
The last COVID-19 case was detected in the state on June 10.
The deputy chief minister said the state government has set up camps at railway stations and the Guwahati airport to ensure that all returnees are tested for the disease, quarantined and tracked.
The state has recorded an over-63 per cent recovery rate, which is higher than the national average, a health department official said.
"Two more persons have recovered from West Garo Hills district after testing negative twice. Total Active cases 15. Total recovered 28," Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said in a tweet earlier in the day.
Of the 11 districts of Meghalaya, East Garo Hills, East Jaintia Hills and South West Khasi Hills have not reported a single coronavirus case till date.
The state recorded its first COVID-19 case on April 13.
Meanwhile, the state government decided on Tuesday that IewDuh, the largest traditional market in Meghalaya located near the heart of the city, will resume operations from June 22.
"We have decided that IewDuh will re-open from Monday," Tynsong said.
The deputy chief minister said 1,222 shops have been identified for reopening and of these, only 30-33 per cent will be operationalised on a rotational basis in a day.
However, the shopkeepers selling vegetables, fish, meat, books and betel nut and leaves in the market will not be allowed to operate now to avoid crowding, he said, adding that these items are available across the state.
The state government has also decided to reopen the weekly markets across the state from June 29, Tynsong said.
He said the flea markets along the Indo-Bangladesh border and markets operating along the Assam-Meghalaya border are not allowed to start functioning. PTI
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