COVID-19 positivity rate still alarming in Lakhimpur district
A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: The COVID-19 pandemic situation is still grim in the Lakhimpur district. The district has witnessed a high positivity rate during the past few days despite the fact that the district has been a 'Containment zone' for a week. What is more, 'Community Contagion' of the pandemic has also engulfed various places across the district.
Owing to the high COVID-19 positivity rate in recent days, the ASDMA (Assam State Disaster Management Authority) had declared 'Total Containment' in Lakhimpur along with six other districts of the State namely Goalpara, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Biswanath and Morigaon on July 6.
According to the new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the ASDMA on that day, curfew came into effect in the district from 5 am on July 7; and it is still in force here.
The district was brought under a containment zone in order to break the chain of community contagion of the novel coronavirus which took alarming status posing threat to public health. In view of this, the opening of all workplaces, business and commercial establishments, restaurants, dhabas and other eateries, sale counters, showrooms of cold storages and warehouses was restricted in the district until further notice.
Moreover, all inter-district passenger transport services and movement of people to and from other districts will remain suspended. Any form of gathering is banned in the district. Only shops dealing with groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder have been directed to open up to 5 pm every day so that that the public can procure the essential commodities.
Despite such prohibitions, the pandemic situation of the district has not come under control during the week. During the past days, the COVID-19 positivity rate has not declined, rather it has increased.
A total of 1,277 COVID-19 cases have been detected across the district in the last eight days since July 7 when the containment order came into effect. Of them, 209 cases were detected on July 7; 282 on July 8; 176 on July 9; 109 on July 10, 86 on July 11; 172 on July 12; 135 on July 13; and 108 cases on July 14.
As a result of it, the number of COVID-19 cases has gone up to 8,685 from the July 6 figure of 7,617. During these eight days, a total of 13 people of the district also succumbed to COVID-19, surging the COVID-19 fatalities up to 92 during the second wave of the pandemic since April 1 of the current year.
As per a report of the District Health Department, the total positivity rate of the district is 3% cent till July 13 while the recovery rate is 86.56%.
Violation of the prohibitory orders of the containment zone and flouting of the COVID-19 protocols by a section of the unruly public are regarded to be the prime causes of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the district during these days. Some people still violate the COVID-19 protocols in the markets places with impunity across the district even though the district administration has warned that it would take strict action against such violators.
On the other hand, the violators are taking advantage of the weak points of the district administration with regard to the enforcement of the containment and curfew orders.
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