Police on Thursday intercepted many people moving around in two-wheelers and cars defying COVID-19 lockdown and curfew in Manipur. They will be produced before executive magistrates for collection of fines.
Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus cases in Manipur has gone up to 2,115, of which 655 are active ones.
Though the State has so far not reported any COVID-19 death, the number of persons infected has been increasing every day. Officials said the high incidence could be checked if lockdown and curfew were extended for 14 days.
On defying the curfew, the officials said violations were reported earlier also and police could collect ₹1 lakh daily as fines on an average. This time local youths are extending cooperation to the police. The youths erected bamboo fences or dug up roads to prevent violators. As a result, all streets wore a deserted look. Shops were shut.
Most of the detained youths claim that they had come out to buy medicines or for other urgent works. Some of them say they were going to collect curfew passes when they were intercepted. Police, however, say rules are relaxed for genuine cases.
Most of the COVID-19 patients in Manipur have travel history.
‘I am COVID-free’
Meanwhile, Prof. A. Santa, Director of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, said on Friday that he was COVID-19 free as the test results indicated. He deplored misleading reports in a section of media that he was positive.
Two more employees of the RIMS were found to be infected on Friday. Following reports that one postgraduate student and an employee had tested positive, preventive steps had been taken at the institute.
Medical Superintendent C. Arunkumar said 210 employees were tested. He said two employees were found to be infected and shifted to isolation wards. One of the patients is an X-ray technician, while the other is a security guard.
Meanwhile, one more person tested positive in Tengnoupal district under which Moreh falls. There are two confirmed cases in the district.
