GUWAHATI: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has speculated that a vaccine to fight the COVID-19 virus was unlikely to come up before December this year, even as the state stares at a precarious situation amid rising cases.
Speaking to mediapersons after attending a plasma donation programme for Assam Rifles personnel at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here on Thursday, Sarma said tackling COVID-19 would always remain a big challenge till a vaccine to fight the virus was developed.
“Given the situation, we are unlikely to have a vaccine from Oxford (UK) before December this year. So we are in a very critical situation. Yesterday, the state for the first recorded the highest number of deaths (18) in a single day. The infections too are rising with an average of 2,500 positive cases reported every day,” Sarma said.
Assam has lifted most restrictions, including the weekend lockdown and night curfew, as part of the Centre’s ‘Unlock’ guidelines.
The health minister fervently appealed to the people to take extra precautions amid the soaring cases, and follow all the COVID safety protocols.
He lauded the Assam Rifles personnel and the junior doctors for donating plasma at the camp at GMCH.
The Junior Doctors Association (JDA), GMCH in association with National Health Mission Assam, organised the camp to help effective treatment of COVID-19 patients.
“I congratulate JDA and wish them the very best. I thank donors from Assam Rifles and the medical fraternity,” Sarma later tweeted.
Assam registered 2,243 COVID-19 positive cases on Wednesday, taking the state’s overall tally to 1, 33,066.