GUWAHATI: After having overcome the “short-term impact” of the coronavirus outbreak in Assam, the state health department is bracing up for a long-term battle against COVID-19.
State health and family welfare minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that a year-long vision plan would be prepared shortly to find out ways and means to tackle COVID-19, firstly when the lockdown is lifted completely, and secondly, if no vaccines are available by the time winter sets in.
“Assam has overcome the short-term impact of the virus but the mid-term impact will be known when the lockdown is completely lifted and those stranded outside enter the state. Secondly, there could be more cases if vaccines are not available by the time winter sets in. Keeping this challenge in mind, we are coming out with a year-long vision plan in the next three days,” Sarma told reporters here.
So far, samples of as many as 1421 people with links to the Nizamuddin Markaz congregation have been collected and 29 have come out positive.
“The results of 34 sample tests are awaited and if they come out negative, we think we can close the Nizamuddin Markaz shortly. All others with links to Markaz and their contacts have been quarantined or put in isolation wards,” the minister said.
He however said that if more positive cases emerge once the results of 34 persons with Markaz links come out, then contact tracing would have to be done accordingly.
“The fact that we could quickly locate every person with Markaz link and bring them to quarantine or isolation in such a short span is an achievement for the department along with Assam police and district administration,” Sarma said.
Assam had on Monday morning registered its 30th COVID-19 positive case. “Hazarat Ali, 35, who is from Dhubri, had gone to Nizamuddin Markaz but not as a participant of Tablighi Jamaat. He will undergo treatment at MMC Hospital here,” the minister said.
Helpline
Meanwhile, Assam has launched a new helpline to financially support economically disadvantaged people who are stranded outside the state to sustain themselves during the lockdown.
“Those economically disadvantaged persons who are stranded outside the state can contact the helpline 9615471547 and provide details such as name, place and bank account numbers so that money could be transferred. The process has already started but we will ascertain the amount to be provided once we get all the details,” he said.
The minister announced that Rs 25000 would be transferred to the bank accounts of critically ill patients (cancer/kidney/liver transplant/heart ailment) stranded outside Assam. “Already, 213 families with critically ill members have been verified,” he said.
He further informed that the second installment of $1000 for persons from the state (who had gone to a foreign country on a temporary visit) stranded overseas would be released on April 25, 2020.