GUWAHATI: Assam has requested the Centre that it should be allowed to follow the containment and buffer method of grouping areas witnessing spurt in COVID cases rather than adhere to zonal (red/orange/green) categorisation, which is adhered to elsewhere in the country.
Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters on Thursday that following the containment/buffer method of grouping in a city like Guwahati would allow economic activities in localities where there no COVID cases to function in accordance with the relaxed lockdown norms.
“Zones are actually a misnomer. So we have requested the Centre to allow us to follow the containment/buffer area policy so that life could function normally in the other areas of the city. We do not want the economy to suffer or affected labourers to be affected by way of categorizing the entire district in red/orange zone if there is a spurt in cases,” Sarma said.
The minister however cautioned that the situation arising out of rising COVID cases in the state would be grim if the number exceeds from the 15 detected yesterday to say 40.
“Our job will be tough then but people need not panic. My advice is to all those people who have been to the hotspot area (Fancy Bazar) in the past few days to exercise self restraint and stay home for a few days. Your cooperation is solicited here,” he said.
According to data provided by the state government, the total number of positive cases has risen to 86, active cases under treatment are 43 while 40 have been discharged from hospital.
“The detection of seven positive cases, including three cancer patients, here this morning, was as per our anticipation prior to bringing them from Mumbai. This is because they had come from Mumbai (which is witnessing a spurt in COVID cases) and were put up in Assam Bhawan where a positive case was detected,” the minister said.
