Assam COVID-19 death toll rises to 8; total tally climbs to 3,498

Guwahati, Jun 12 () Two more persons died of COVID-19 in Assam, taking the death toll to eight while 68 new cases were reported on Friday pushing the total number of cases in the state to 3,498, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

As many as 152 patients were discharged from various hospitals after being cured of the disease. Of the total cases, eight have died, 1,903 cases are active, while 1,584 patients have recovered and three migrated out of the state, he said.

The two persons who died on Friday included a 53-year-old female cancer patient who was admitted at Silchar Medical College Hospital and a 50-year-old man at Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

The woman had gone with her son to Delhi for treatment and both tested positive on their return to Hailakandi. The travel history of the other person, who hails from Baksa district, was yet to be ascertained, an official said.

In view of the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in Assam during the last two weeks, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday asked the Health and Family Welfare Department to ramp up COVID-19 testing facility in the state.

Sonowal held a high-level meeting here to assess the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the state and said the health department needs to vigorously promote testing and identify emerging hotspots.

He also emphasised the need for adhering to the safety protocols in containment zones and quarantine centres to control the spread of the disease.

The meeting also discussed the steps and protocols followed in providing clinical interventions to the positive cases and the facilities at the quarantine centres and containment zones across the state.

Sarma said in the next few days 15 more diagnostic centres will be empowered to ramp up the testing in the state.

Kamrup (Metro) has the highest number of 552 positive cases, followed by Dhubri with 306, Hojai with 237, Golaghat with 216 and Nagaon with 188. Guwahati city, which falls under Kamrup (Metro), has more than 60 active cases, including an 11-month old child, and the district administration has declared 36 areas in the city as containment zones.

Assam has so far tested 1,81,108 samples till date and of these 3,498 have tested positive, 1,81,108 negative and results of the rest are awaited, the state health department said in its daily bulletin. DG RG NSD NSD