GUWAHATI: Assam health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday anticipated the number of returnees to come down considerably from mid-June, reiterating that it was imperative to “strictly hold on to the COVID-19 containment measures for the next 20 days” to prevent community transmission of the virus in the state.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Sarma said about 2lakh people, stranded outside the state, had registered to return, of which about 1lakh have already returned since the restriction on inter-state travel was lifted.
“There will be an inflow of returnees till June 15. But we anticipate that the number of returnees would lessen considerably thereafter and so if we can hold to the containment protocols for the next 20 days or so, we can save Assam from community transmission of COVID-19,” he said.
The minister informed that the state authorities were monitoring passengers of two trains from Chennai to the state who have tested positive for the virus.
“Over 120 passengers of a Shramik Special train from Egmore (Chennai) to Guwahati had tested COVID-19 positive while about 25 passengers of another train, who were sent to Dhemaji by bus from Guwahati, were also infected with the virus. So, we will wait for them to test negative so that we ascertain the date and place of infection,” Sarma said.
He clarified that since swabs of such returnees are collected for tests 10 hours before they are admitted to quarantine centres, there could be no possibility of them being infected inside the quarantine centres.
“We have however come to know from CCTV surveillance that some are not adhering to physical distancing inside the quarantine centres and, and in such cases, the quarantine period would be extended beyond 14 days,” the minister said.
Sarma further said that till date only hostels of private educational institutions were used for facility quarantine. “But if the situation demanded, then we would have no option but to accommodate returnees in hostel rooms of government institutions,” he said.