Sudden random tests will be conducted in three areasof Dhubri district on Sunday and "if there are positive cases,we will also conduct tests in Kokrajhar", the minister said ata press conference here.
"We are concerned about Dhubri as it has reportedcases over a period of time and also borders West Bengal wherecoronavirus positive figures have increased," said.
A 62-year-old man from Bilasipara town of Dhubridistrict had tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday.
With five coronavirus cases, Dhubri is among the "redzone" or "hotspot" districts in the state, the others beingGolaghat, Goalpara, Morigaon and Nalbari.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) hadallowed rapid testing in the state and "We conducted sampletests on Thursday on 91 residents of a high-end apartment,which was declared a containment zone after one person hadtested positive, and all the samples were found to benegative.
"We also conducted rapid testing on coronaviruspositive patients undergoing treatment at Mahendra MohanChoudhury Hospital (MMCH) here and the results came aspositive," the minister said.
Normal swab tests will be conducted on 25 people ofthe apartment who had tested negative and also the patients atMMCH who tested positive, he said.
"If the results of both rapid testing and normal testsare the same, then we will go for rapid testing in the statefor surveillance purpose, strictly according to ICMRguidelines," he said.
Assam has so far tested 6,459 people in sixlaboratories of the state with 35 of them testing positive.
Out of the 35, one person died, 15 are still activeand 19 have been released from hospitals.
Sarma said that another person was expected to bereleased on Saturday.
The Medical Colleges and hospitals and districthospitals have reopened for general patients from Friday.
The MMCH will, however, remain a COVID-19 hospital fornow. DGMM MM