COVID-19 in Mizoram

Mizoram had an extremely mild first wave of covid-19 infections, and the first victim of the virus was recorded only on 28 October 2020. Manipur and Tripura, its neighbours, had 156 and 345 fatalities, respectively, in sharp contrast. The number of cumulative infections on 1 April 2021 was 4,476 as against 29,400 for Manipur, 14,065 for Meghalaya, and 12,340 for Nagaland. The performance of Mizoram in controlling the pandemic was exemplary. There are several possible reasons for the success, which points out that there were hardly any miracles. The state had taken the right strategy in a conducive atmosphere.

The virus spreads from person to person, and it is essential to maintain a safe distance apart and wash hands frequently to keep the disease in check. States with low population density are at an advantage under such conditions. A high number of cases in Maharashtra may not be surprising as Greater Mumbai alone has a population of 1.25 crore according to the 2011 Census. Mizoram does have a high urbanisation rate of above 50% and the population is concentrated in major cities like Aizawl and Lunglei. Even then, the population in urban areas is very small in absolute numbers, just 2.92 lakh in Aizawl city and a little above 10 lakh in the whole state.