Keeping in view with the High Powered Committee (HPC) indicating to take up more testing and ramp up of vaccination exercises, the Kohima District Task Force (DTF) on COVID-19 took up the issues in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner and Chairman DTF Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie, NCS at DC's Conference Hall, Kohima on 13th July 2021. The meeting was attended by Minister in-charge for Kohima district; Minister, PWD (Housing and Mechanical), Tongpang Ozukum along with Advisor, Urban Development & Municipal Affairs, Neikiesalie Nicky Kire; Sr. S.P Kohima, Kevithutuo Sophie; CMO Kohima, Dr. Vezokholu Theyo and other DTF members.
On the issue of ramp up of testing and vaccination, Minister Ozukum informed that the Prime Minister of India during video conferencing with Chief Ministers of North Eastern States on 13th July 2021 pointed out three issues where NE States need to intensify testing and vaccination and need to bring down the wastage of vaccine. On wastage of vaccine, he informed that out of eight NE states, four states had reported nil wastage of vaccine while other four states reported with a total of more than 90,000 doses wastage of vaccine where Nagaland State was listed in the last second. He therefore said that though Kohima district was recorded with 4% of vaccine wastage, which was acknowledged by the Chief Minister of Nagaland in one of the HPC meeting, the Minister said the district still needs to have proper planning in this exercise to bring down the wastage of vaccine to zero percentage and further called for everyone's effort in these matters.
The DTF assessed the current level of testing and ongoing vaccination and discussed on various measures to increase and improve the testing and vaccination exercises in the district in order to achieve the district target of 1026 daily testing set by the higher authority. As per the 2011 Census, total population of the district stands at 2,70,063 where a total of 60,465 samples tested was recorded with an average weekly test of 1437 test and daily test of 205 done while the Government has set the district target at the rate of five times average done which comes to 7185 per week and 1026 per day.
In this regard, the DTF decided to hold joint meeting with all concerned in respective ranges/areas to create awareness and to appeal all concerned to join hands in the fight. The DTF further called upon various stakeholders, agencies, NGOs and civil societies to come together and extend their cooperation in order to achieve the district target. The DTF also observed that there are some individuals feeling reluctant to come forward for testing, which hampers the testing figures, and in such cases the DTF may have to take up action against such individuals for violating the Act under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897 and other relevant sections of the Act.
Earlier, CMO Kohima highlighted the 'District Micro Plan' on Covid-19 testing strategy during the meeting where the DTF decided to approve it with some minor modification for further necessary action. CMO also updated on the current status of positivity rate where she mentioned on the recent detection of Delta Variant in the district, which is very transmissible and infectious. She said that both the delta variant and delta plus variant has the capacity or ability for immune escape, which means an individual infected in the past can still become infected again.
On the ongoing vaccination in urban and rural areas, CMO informed that there are some certain pockets where people are not coming forward to get vaccinated. The CMO team has therefore conducted Community Health Officers training on RAT testing and awareness on vaccination. She said that at this juncture the focus has to be on the ongoing vaccination to cover all the eligible beneficiaries, for which she called for every individual to come together to achieve the target.
(DPRO Kohima)
