Guwahati: Owing to the continuing rise in the number of coronavirus cases, a total lockdown shall be imposed in the three districts of Assam's Barak Valley from 5 am of August 27 onwards.
As per the notifications issued by the Deputy Commissioners of the 3 districts, the COVID-19-induced lockdown will continue till the midnight of September 4 in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.
The administrations have taken the decision to re-impose the total lockdown in the view of rising Coronavirus cases in the Barak valley region, where the number of asymptomatic cases and patients without travel history continues to soar.
This follows the Assam Chief Secretary's declaration that the DCs of the Barak Valley have the liberty to impose a lockdown due to the rising COVID-19 graph in the region.
"Having carefully examined the reports and opinions of the Deputy Commissioners, it has been decided that the State Government has no objection to the measures to be put in place by DDMAs of these three districts as deemed proper for ensuring prevention of the further spread of COVID 19", Kumar Sanjay Krishna, the Chief Secretary, said.
Following this, the DCs have gone ahead and promulgated orders in the districts, at least till September 4.
According to Keerthi Jalli, the DC of Cachar, weighing in on the impending lockdown, says that it has been necessitated by the rise in the number of 'symptomatic COVID-19 case' in the region.
"The need for an imminent break in the chain of transmission was felt and hence the preventive measure is being taken. I must be cruel to be kind", she told media persons.
South Assam's Hailakandi continues to witness a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, especially since the introduction of the Rapid Antigen mode of testing, which reduces the time taken to get the results. As many as 51 fresh COVID-19 positive cases have been reported from the district on Monday, taking the total tally to 1,973.
Health authorities here disclosed that of the 51 positive cases, 34 have been detected under the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
Alarmingly, of the 1,030 cases that have been found positive under RAT, over 50 percent are without travel history. 1,527 persons on being cured have been discharged from hospitals and the number of active cases is 431.