A reported primary contact of the first Covid-19 patient in Meghalaya has tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, taking the total number of active cases in the state to two.

The patient, who works as a maid at the first Covid-19 patient’s house, was one of the 181 primary contacts.

These primary contacts had been tested at least thrice ever since the first case was detected, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said on Saturday.

However, it was only on Saturday that a test report confirmed that the maid had contracted the virus.

From the first Covid-19 patient, who passed away on April 15, 12 positive cases have been detected so far. Out of these 12, 10 have recovered fully.

Tynsong informed that the patient had been shifted to the coronavirus centre at the Shillong civil hospital and is stable.

“This newly-infected person happens to be from the same source, that is, from the first patient who is now deceased. She happens to be a domestic help and had undergone home quarantine since April 14,” he said.

However, a statement from the family of the first Covid-19 patient clarified that the latest positive case had nothing to do with the family.

“There was no contact between the latest case and any of the members of the family since April 15. Therefore, the contacts whom she has been exposed to from April 15 onwards cannot be accounted for,” it added.

Tynsong also appealed to those citizens who had visited Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) and B. Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) in Guwahati from April 23 onwards to immediately report to the health department by calling 108.

While a positive case was detected in the GMCH on May 7, a Covid-19 death was reported from the cancer institute.

Those who had visited these two hospitals and their families have also been advised to undergo 14-days’ home quarantine.

Tynsong informed that till Saturday, 2,287 samples were sent for test out of which, 2,178 have turned out negative while the results of 96 samples were awaited.

The deputy chief minister informed that till Saturday afternoon, 2,623 citizens, who were stranded in different parts of the Northeast, had returned to the state.

Relaxations: The state government on Saturday decided to extend further relaxations by allowing the reopening of all types of shops from Monday onwards in the green zones located in at least 10 districts.

However, the shops in the Shillong agglomeration area, which includes Iewduh and Khyndailad, will not be allowed to reopen.

The government also decided to allow reopening of automobile and stationery shops from Monday in areas within the Shillong agglomeration, except in Iewduh and Khyndailad.

Moreover, from Monday, plying of public transportation will be increased from 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

Outside the Shillong agglomeration area, private transportation will be allowed to function up to 50 per cent capacity from Monday.