6 more test positive in Assam

GUWAHATI: The upswing in the curve of COVID-19 positive patients in Assam continues to steep with six more persons being tested positive on Friday taking the state’s tally up to 59.
Five of them had travelled in the bus ferrying people from Rajasthan to Cachar while the 6th case is of a student of the Regional Dental College, Guwahati.
Five persons, who travelled in the bus from Rajasthan in which the Cachar district COVID-19 positive person (Sahabuddin Saidul) travelled, have tested positive, informed State Health and Family Welfare Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma.
So far, 59 persons have tested COVID-19 positive in Assam including 24 active cases and two deaths.
In the wake of detection of four COVID-19 positive persons in Guwahati city on Thursday, three of whom have no travel history as well as contact history, Assam Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday raised the alarm about possibility of presence on novel coronavirus traces in the city.
The administration has, meanwhile, declared following containment zones in the city – Hostel No. 1 and 5 of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, B Barooah Cancer Hospital, staff colony of B Barooah Cancer Institute at Lokhora in the city, ESI Hospital in Beltola and Amiyo Nagar in Chandmari. The Government has decided not to admit new patient in GMCH for the next three days. The administration has taken this decision following detection of following cases in Guwahati on May 7 — Dipika Nath (13) who had visited the ESI hospital, B Barooah Cancer Institute and its staff colony, died of COVID-19, a post-graduate medicine student of GMCH Dr Likhitesh DS, Barada Das of Amiyo Nagar in Chandmari area and Debraj Acharjya of Sangsari who was in quarantine at Sarusajai Stadium with a travel history to West Bengal.The health department has quarantined 386 persons including the Superintendent of GMCH, Dr Ramen Talukdar and their blood samples and swab samples have been collected for testing.
The health department is contacting some private laboratories in Delhi for the purpose so as to get the test results as early as possible given that laboratories in the state are overloaded after inflow of stranded state residents from outside in last few days.
Cachar district administration too have made five villages containment zones after detection of four COVID-19 positive with travel and contact history related to 46th COVID patient of the state Sahabuddin Saidul.
The state Health Minister today warned that the COVID-19 situation in Guwahati was worrisome and citizens must strictly adhere to all protocols and guidelines prescribed by the administration and the health department. He said it was disturbing to see parents still taking out their minor children outside home and pillion riders on two-wheelers.