Tezpur DC inaugurated Rapid Antigen Test Centre at Hem Baruah Hall

TEZPUR: Deputy Commissioner Manvendra Pratap Singh on Monday formally inaugurated a Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) centre at Hem Baruah Hall in Tezpur. This is the third such centre in Tezpur town dedicated for citizens of Tezpur town who are willing to get tested for COVID-19. Speaking to media persons the Deputy Commissioner informed that till July 19, a total of 30,045 people returning from outside the State had been screened in the district at the Zonal Health Screening Centre set up at Tezpur University, 2,720 of which were from other districts.

A total of 24,136 samples were collected and sent for testing out of which 564 people tested positive for COVID-19. Of these, 212 people are from the defence services while 352 are civilians. Altogether 421 patients were released after testing negative and as on date there are 142 active cases admitted to various hospitals and COVID care centres in the district. The administration has till date created 78 containment zones in the district and there are 24 CZs active in the district as on July 20. The Deputy Commissioner further informed that 1262 RATs had been carried out in various locations of the district in the last three days out of which 48 people tested positive. Samples of all other negative patients had been collected and sent for RT-PCR testing.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the Sonitpur district administration has created quarantine facilities in 60 such centres across the district with a total bed capacity of 3,418. Moreover, the Dekargaon Model Hospital will soon be turned into a COVID Care Centre (CCC) looking at the rising number of COVID-19 positive cases in the district. There are three CCCs in the district - MCH Paruwa, Sirajuli MH and Kusumtola MH - with a bed capacity of 300 and one Dedicated COVID Hospital - Tezpur Medical College and Hospital.

There are now four RAT testing centres in the district - MCH Paruwa, Don Bosco Nikamul, Tezpur University and with today's inauguration, the Hem Baruah Hall. Moreover, Mobile Medical Units and 104 ambulances have also been pressed into service for RAT, especially in containment zone areas. As on Monday, 1,758 people are in home quarantine and 25,910 people have been released from home quarantine.

Deputy Commissioner Manvendra Pratap Singh has appealed to all people showing SARS/ILI symptoms, having travel history (mainly Guwahati), those who have come into contact with any COVID-19 positive patient and frontline workers fighting against COVID-19 to come forward and get themselves tested at these Rapid Antigen Testing centres opened for the purpose.

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