Guwahati dentist without travel history tests Covid-19 positive

Guwahati: In a worrisome development, a dentist from Guwahati city without any travel history has tested Covid-19 positive, reports said.

According to reports, the doctor, who is a resident of Kamakhya Gate and runs a dental clinic in Lachit Nagar, went for a Covid-19 test after his father started exhibiting some of the signs associated with the viral disease.

Although the dentist's father was tested negative, the dentist tested positive, which has resulted in mass apprehensions near his residence as well as place of work.

There have been several instances in which persons without any travel history have tested Covid-19 positive.  Because of this reason, the Government has initiated a targeted surveillance program to isolate the more volatile groups and suspected carriers from the citizenry.

"We aim to conduct more than 50,000 random testings in a week's time, targeting vulnerable areas," Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, announcing his decision. The decision to conduct such screenings was taken after clusters of Covid-19 positive cases were reported near loading-unloading areas of trucks. The program, which will be carried out all the 33 districts of the state, will aim to screen persons in certain categories who have been deemed as extra volatile and likely carriers of the respiratory illness.

Meanwhile, the total number of cases in Assam has clambered up to 4,904, with 2,044 patients active. At the same time, as many as 9 persons in the state have died due to virus complications. The latest death has been reported on Thursday from the Diphu Medical College in Karbi Anglong -- the second in the district.

At the same time, the Assam health department, with an eye on curbing the virus spread, has ramped up the number of Covid-19 tests significant. Till yesterday, the Government had conducted 2,46,590 tests -- around 11,000 more than the number of tests conducted till yesterday.

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