The Meghalaya government is still trying to locate the source of the Covid-19 outbreak, though one patient has died and eight have tested positive for the virus.

Deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong on Friday said the government and medical officials are still trying to establish the source of the outbreak. “We are trying to find out the source of the virus outbreak in the state. The investigation is going on. We are also trying hard to ensure that the outbreak is contained,” Tynsong told reporters.

A medical professional succumbed to the virus on Wednesday, while eight of his family members tested positive. Presently, all the eight are under quarantine — seven at home and another in a hospital.

Tynsong said the condition of the eight was “stable”. Moreover, he said that till date, 617 samples have been tested, of which 541 have come out negative. The results of 67 samples are awaited.

Tynsong also said 4,000 rapid testing kits have arrived. To a query, he said the government would undertake as many tests as possible to restore public confidence.

On why the government decided to allow grocery shops to open from Monday to Thursday in the city and its adjoining areas even when the source of the virus was yet to be established, he said it would work together with headmen to ensure there was social distancing and adherence to protocol in all localities.

He also stressed the need to ensure that people can purchase groceries at intervals to avoid large gatherings. The grocery shops in the localities will open from 9am to 4pm. Tynsong said wholesale markets would be allowed to operate from Friday to Sunday. The opening of retail shops in other districts would be decided by the deputy commissioners, he added.

Later, chief minister Conrad K. Sangma, in a video message, said after the first case was detected, the government had initiated contact tracing. Till date, 140 primary and more than 4,700 secondary contacts have been established.

He said the government has ordered 25 ambulances with money collected through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, which was over Rs 5 crore till date. The remainder of the funds would be used for corona care centres.

Conrad also said around 20,000 PPE kits will arrive shortly while the state already has 30,000 such equipment to protect frontline workers and others. On the rapid testing kits, he said apart from the 4,000 which have arrived, the government was trying to source more kits.

He also expressed concern over the spread of fake news. “We need to act responsibly. I was very upset and sad to see that in certain groups, the list of patients who had visited Bethany Hospital was circulated. This is an incorrect thing to do.”

He said an FIR had been filed and action will be taken against those who had leaked the information.