Assam mulling to reimpose lockdown in Guwahati

Guwahati/Agartala, June 13 (IANS) With a spike in coronavirus infections, the Assam government is considering to reimpose lockdown in its main city Guwahati, depending on the result of 50,000 COVID-19 sample tests to be conducted soon, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

“If a sizable number of positive cases are found after 50,000 samples are tested in Guwahati, total lockdown will be reimposed in the commercial city. Besides the lockdown, some strictest measures will be taken to check the spread of coronavirus,” he told the media.

Assam had reported 3,718 positive cases till Saturday night, including 1,902 active cases.

In all 1,805 patients have recovered from the dreaded virus while eight people have so far succumbed to the disease.

Assam’s neighbouring state Mizoram on June 8 reimposed total lockdown for two more weeks in a bid to curb the spread of the disease after return of natives from different parts of the country.

The Assam Minister said on Saturday that the state has tested 2,01,503 samples so far in 11 laboratories whereas one more lab would be ready by Monday. By the end of this month three lakh sample would be tested, he added.

“In per million testing ratio, Assam’s position is better than 14 states in the country, including Kerala, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Only Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi’s testing ratio is slightly better than Assam but soon our state (Assam) will surpass these states also.”

Sarma said that as against India’s COVID-19 recovery rate of around 50 per cent and mortality rate of 2.88 per cent, Assam’s corresponding figures are 47.98 per cent and 0.21 per cent.

“Assam’s recovery and mortality rates are better than Kerala (recovery rate 43 per cent and mortality rate 0.82 per cent), West Bengal (41 and 4.40 per cent), Maharashtra (47.26 and 3.68 per cent), Tamil Nadu (54.17 and 0.90 per cent) and Delhi (36.38 and 3.30 per cent).

“Among the eight northeastern states, after Assam, Tripura crossed the 1,000-mark as 82 more people tested corona positive on Saturday, taking the total number of cases to 1,042. Tripura now has 723 active cases and one death so far.

–IANS

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