Tura, Sept 22 : South West Garo Hills district has overtaken West Garo Hills to become the district with the highest positivity rate of Covid-19 infections.

Meghalaya Chief Secretary informed that the positivity rate of 1.21% of South West Garo Hills was higher than West Garo Hills’ 1.15%.

Interestingly though, South West Garo Hills also stands in first position when it comes to vaccination of the people.

The Meghalaya Chief Secretary, MS Rao, who is on a tour of the region before his superannuation reviewed the Covid-19 vaccination and Aadhar enrolment in Garo Hills region in the presence of the Deputy Commissioners of all the 5 districts at Circuit House,  Tura, on September 21, 2021.Covid numbers for Garo Hills

During the meeting, the Health Department officials highlighted the challenges and issues being faced and the steps taken for improving the Covid vaccination in Garo Hills. The vaccination coverage for all categories in South West Garo Hills was 74.0%, the highest in Garo Hills followed by West Garo Hills with 59% and the second dose coverage in West Garo Hills was quite high with 18,034 people vaccinated, the officials informed.

The officials also informed that timely disbursement of Covid management fund for Garo Hills from April to September this year was Rs. 78,17,288.

Highlighting that the total deaths in Garo Hills was 118, recovery ratio 98.8% and fatality rate ratio 0.76%, the officials also informed that the positivity rate was the highest in South West Garo Hills with 1.21% followed by West Garo Hills with 1.15%.

Chief Secretary laments slow rate of vaccination

Reviewing the Covid-19 vaccination drive in Garo Hills, the Chief Secretary congratulated the medical officers and others involved in the drive for their tireless efforts towards achieving the target. He, however, lamented that the over-all vaccination coverage in the state, despite having sufficient stock of vaccine, was not up to the mark.

While talking about the overall vaccination coverage, he also suggested that those who turn up to the vaccination centre should be vaccinated and not to wait till the number is 10. He also said that the reason for vaccine hesitancy in the rural areas of the state is that the villagers have so many questions for which they are not getting the answers.

Low Aadhar enrolment in Meghalaya

Further, while talking about Aadhar enrolment in the state, he said that the coverage in Meghalaya in very low comparing to the other states of the country.