GUWAHATI: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that with the detection of at least 12 COVID-19 positive cases without any travel history in Guwahati, there was a need for people in the city to exercise greater caution.
“We do not yet know whether community transmission has taken place here but given that we have so far detected 12 COVID-19 positive cases without any travel history in the city, people must be very cautious and strictly adhere to all safety protocols,” Sarma told the media here during a visit to the LGBI Airport here on Thursday.
As it is, at least 46 locations in the city have been declared containment zones, where entry to and exit from the area is barred to contain any possible spread of the virus. Despite, the restriction being withdrawn from 19 such zones, currently 27 remain as containment zones with the latest location being Lamb Road area (also covering SK Bhuyan Road).
Assam has over the past few weeks witnessed a steep rise in the number of COVID-19 positive cases with the total number of cases crossing the 3,300 mark on Thursday afternoon. However, over 1200 patients have recovered. Six patients have died in the state so far.
The minister said a good number of passengers arriving by flights here have tested positive for the virus. “So far we have been able to manage the daily load of people arriving at the airport. However, things will become challenging if the load rises substantially in the next few days,” he said.
Sarma inspected the screening facilities for passengers and also reviewed the containment measures and other facilities at the airport to ensure full preparedness against COVID-19. “I have advised airport officials to take full precautions and care,” he said.