The Congress has blamed the sudden spike in COVID-19 positive cases in Mizoram on the elections to the village and local urban councils that the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) swept in August.
Mizoram, the only northeastern State not to have had any COVID-19 fatality, recorded 141 cases – the highest single-day spike – on Thursday. This made the State government enforce a total lockdown from September 11 to 17.
The Congress said the State government ignored the Centre’s guidelines on social distancing while holding the elections that led to community transmission of the virus.
“More than 70 of the 141 fresh cases are related to the recent elections and a large number of cases were recorded from 26 localities of [State capital] Aizawl where local council polls were held. Social distancing and other safety measures could not be maintained as there were very few polling booths,” Congress spokesman Lal Lianchhunga said on Friday.
Neither the Zoramthanga-led MNF government nor the Mizoram State Election Commission (MSEC) heeded the Congress’s requests for deferring the polls, he stated.
“We had on August 10 requested the State government to postpone the elections. On August 19, State Congress president and former Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla wrote to the MSEC with a similar request. New cases are being detected after the government went ahead with the polls on August 27,” Mr. Lianchhunga said.
Conjecture is premature: Minister
Mizoram Health and Family Welfare Minister R. Lalthangliana said it would be too early to link the fresh cases to the elections. “We have undertaken contact tracing. Such conjecture would be premature at this point in time,” he noted.
Mizoram recorded 1,353 positive cases till Friday morning. The infection rate in the State with 11.2 lakh people is 0.12%.
Dr. Lalthangliana attributed the low infection rate to the efficient management of the pandemic by district and village-level task forces comprising officials, members of NGOs and villagers. He also lauded the Opposition parties for helping the government in minimising the spread of the disease.
