Nagaland CM gets COVID-19 vaccine

Kohima:

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, his wife Kaisa Rio and Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton on Wednesday received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

“I am feeling normal”, said Rio while speaking to reporters after taking the vaccine at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK), a government facility for vaccination.

In his message to the people, the CM said: “We are proud that our country also could make our own vaccine against the virus and inoculate the healthcare providers and front line workers in the first phase and now it is the turn of senior citizens and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities so it is an opportunity for all of us to take the vaccine”.

Everybody should go to the nearest facility available and take the vaccine, he said.

Those yet to take must come forward and take the vaccine in government or private facilities, Rio said.

The CM also expressed hope that with the COVID-19 vaccine, the country will be healthier and richer.

Advisors K T Sukhalu and Phukayi also received their first dose of the vaccine at NHAK while Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom along with two other legislators got inoculated at District Hospital Dimapur.

Meanwhile, Nagaland on Wednesday reported five fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 12,205.

“5 +ve cases of COVID-19 reported today at Kohima,” said Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom in a tweet.

The state now has 12 active COVID-19 cases while 11,949 people have recovered from the disease, an official said.

The COVID-19 recovery rate is 97.90 per cent, he said.

The coronavirus death toll in the state is 91, while 153 have migrated to other states, said Director of Health and Family Welfare Department, Dr Denis Hangsing in the daily COVID-19 bulletin.

Nagaland has so far tested a total of 1,31,010 samples for COVID-19, including 74,867 on RT-PCR, 37,363 on TrueNat and 18,780 on Rapid Antigen Test, he said.