Covid-19 cases spike in Manipur, advisories issued

Imphal: A sharp rise in Covid-19 cases is being reported over the past week, raising alarm among health authorities and prompting them to issue fresh advisories for testing, surveillance, and public awareness.The state, which was reporting minimal daily cases for the past several months, has now recorded a significant increase in new infections along with a steep rise in the test positivity rate, indicating the active spread of the virus within communities. According to health department officials, the daily number of confirmed cases surged within a short span, with the test positivity rate climbing to over 14% in some districts.

However, the number of hospitalisations remains low, and no new Covid-related fatalities have been reported so far.

Health experts attributed the sudden spike to multiple factors, including the relaxation of Covid-appropriate behaviour, a decline in booster dose vaccinations, and the emergence of new variants that are believed to be more transmissible, though relatively mild in symptoms.The Covid-19 update as of June 24 shows that since June 1, a total of 554 samples were tested in the state, out of which 171 tested positive.

A total of 34 patients were discharged so far, and no deaths have been reported.On June 24 alone, 13 new positive cases were detected, with 6 cases from Imphal West and 7 from Imphal East. Fourteen patients recovered and were discharged on the same day. With this, the number of active cases stands at 137. Among them, 124 are under home isolation, and 14 have already recovered under home-based care. Officials from the Union Ministry of Health have directed the state govt to enhance testing and strengthen hospital preparedness, including the availability of oxygen support, essential medicines, and isolation beds.