GUWAHATI: Two more persons have tested COVID-19 positive in Assam on Monday taking the total number of those affected in the Northeastern state to 64, including 22 active cases, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“Two persons are tested #COVID19+ in Guwahati. One originally hails from Morigaon, while other is from Guwahati itself,” Sarma tweeted.
So far, 64 total cases in Assam, while active cases are 22, as one person who had tested positive here had left for Bihar, he tweeted.
Guwahati has reported seven positive cases so far, including a 16-year-old girl who was detected with the disease after she died on May 7. Another death due to the disease had been reported on April 10 at Silchar.
There was no report of any fresh coronavirus case in the state on Sunday. On Saturday three cases of coronavirus have been reported after an ambulance with two passengers and a driver travelled from Mumbai to Jorhat.
The driver was allowed to leave Assam as he was asymptomatic and was stopped in Bihar, Sarma had said. The minister in an earlier tweet during the day expressed concern over an altered/morphed tweet circulating in the social media which put the coronavirus affected at a higher number and asked the police to immediately file an FIR and investigate.
“I have noted with deep concern an altered/morphed screenshot of my tweet – where the numbers have been changed. Asking @assampolice to immediately file an FIR and investigate”, he tweeted.
The tweet appeared to have been posted by Sarma, who said his Twitter account has not been hacked.
Five patients discharged
Meanwhile, five COVID-19 positive patients in Assam were discharged from hospital on Monday, taking the total number of discharged patients to 39 so far, adds our special correspondent from Guwahati.
“Glad to share that five COVID-19 patients of Bongaigaon, who were admitted at Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital, have been discharged today. Total discharged patients are 39 now. So far, 64 total cases in Assam, while active cases are 22, as one person who had tested positive here had left for Bihar,” state health and family welfare minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Monday evening.
Earlier in the day, the minister said that the current phase would be very challenging for the state government to contain the virus outbreak given that thousands of people stranded outside the state would be returning by train from Tuesday.
Already, several stranded people have been facilitated entry to the state either by bus or private vehicles, albeit in a regulated manner during the third phase of the lockdown.
Prior to that, the state government had allowed inter-district movement of stranded persons across the state. (PTI)
