Himanta Biswa Sarma: 340 Swab Samples taken from Contacts of 15 Guwahati Cases, Results Awaited

Guwahati:

Assam Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that 340 swabs have been taken from the close contacts of the 15 cases of the coronavirus which were detected yesterday in Guwahati city.

"If a sizable section (of the 340 samples) tests positive, we might do preliminary contact tracing with everyone who came in the vicinity", Sarma said, adding the Government is already in touch with mobile companies to ascertain who was in the locality where the latest cluster of cases has been detected.

The Minister also urged the people who had gone to the warehouse area to dial the 104 helpline if they exhibit any signs of the coronavirus such as coughing or fever.

Urging people to exercise "self-restraint", Sarma said that there won't be a cause for worry if they follow the guidelines prescribed by the Government.

Sarma has said that 32 persons who were connected to the Amingaon warehouse employee who had tested earlier this week were sampled. "On the basis of that, 15 samples were declared as positive by the GMCH", Sarma said, adding that Health Department acted with precision to list the people who were connected to the man.

The list of 15 people also includes a barber, a resident of Kumarpara who used to operate near the corona hotspot Rajkamal Hotel. "He has cut the hair of 70-80 people", Sarma said.

Meanwhile, the Manager of Rajkamal Hotel, a resident of GS Colony of Fatasil Ambari, has also tested positive.

Another person who came from Jharkhand on March 3 and got stranded and had to stay at the Rajkamal Hotel also tested positive.

A driver, who took the first patient to the MMCH Hospital in Panbazar has also tested positive for the virus.

A Railway Colony resident who ran a tea stall has also tested positive.

Meanwhile, Fancy Bazar, Kumarpara, GS Colony Fatasil Ambari, Santipur's Ashram Road and Railway Colony Panbazar have also been declared as 'containment zones.'

Assam Government Numbers:

Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the Assam Government counts 86 infections, 2 deaths, 40 people have been discharged, 43 cases are active, and 1 person has been migrated thus far.

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