GANGTOK, June 7 - Sikkim Chief Secretary SC Gupta chaired a State Task Force meeting here today to review and assess the COVID-19 situation in the State and the future course of action.
The District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and Chief Medical Officers of four districts joined the meeting through video conferencing.
During the meeting, the status of the evacuation of stranded people, compulsory testing of people under quarantine, protocols to be strictly maintained during home quarantine, and other areas requiring urgent attention and intervention were discussed.
The strategy for testing of the primary contacts of the positive patients and other returnees also figured in the meeting.
The Chief Secretary took stock of the preparedness for conducting Class X and XII board examinations slated from July 1 and online entrance examination for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to be held shortly.
For the board examinations, he directed the district administrations to hand over the senior secondary schools which have been converted into quarantine centres to the Education Department by June 25.
The Chief Secretary said the road ahead should be focused on containing the spread of novel coronavirus and ensuring that all safety norms are adhered to.
He also enquired about the status of the quarantine centres � both free and paid facilities � in the State. The Chief Secretary also made assessment for formulation of plans on perception management, strategies on standard procedures and the way forward.
PTI adds: Sikkim reported four more cases of COVID-19, taking the total to seven in the state, a senior official said. Two females from South Sikkim aged 29 and 37, and two males aged 22 and 21 were found to be COVID-19 positive, Health Secretary Pempa Tshering Bhutia said. They have been admitted to the STNM Hospital for treatment, he said.
The 22-year-old man was returning on a bus from Maharashtra, where his test was conducted. He was told about his test results on the bus, Bhutia said.
The other man is related to a COVID-19 patient already admitted at the STNM Hospital, the health secretary said.
In the case of the two women, both were admitted to a quarantine centre in South District and their swab samples were sent to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri for testing, reports of which came back as positive, he said.
Earlier, three people were found to be positive and all of them are undergoing treatment at the STNM Hospital.
