Assam in a comfortable position, says Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

* 12 corona patients discharged so far

* 82% infected persons didn’t show symptoms

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: State Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the Health department has tested 120 people per 10 lakh population for coronavirus infection, and this is better than most other States in the country. He has further claimed that even as five districts in the State have been tagged COVID-19 hotspots, the State is in a comfortable position in phase-I since all the positive cases have been detected while those persons were in quarantine— without allowing further infection in society.

The Minister added, “Two corona positive persons were discharged from the MMCH (Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital) after recovery on Saturday. As on date, while we have discharged 12 COVID-19 patients after their recovery; one has succumbed to the infection. Now we’re left with 21 COVID-19 patients, and all of them are stable. The total number of infected cases in the State is 34.

“The two persons discharged from the MMCH are from Uttar Pradesh. An 11-member Tablighi team had visited Nalbari. All of them were quarantined. Four of them tested corona positive and admitted in the MMCH, the remaining seven have been quarantined at Sarusajai Stadium. Now two corona positive Tablighis from Uttar Pradesh are still under treatment in the MMCH.”

Regarding the corona symptoms of the positive cases in the State, Minister Sarma made certain revelations. He pointed out, “Eighty-two per cent of the corona positive persons didn’t show any symptoms of the infection. Their infections have been detected only after test during quarantine. This amply means that they’re silent carriers of the virus. The corona strain has been broken successfully in the State preventing community transmission since all the positive cases have been detected in quarantine centres. Hadn’t such people been quarantined on time, they could have spread the virus in the community in a massive away.

“The ages of the patients range from 18-71 years and most of them are aged between 50 and 60 years. While 79 per cent of the patients are males, 21 per cent are females.

“So far, 4,400 samples have been tested in the State. While 4,199 of them have tested corona negative, 34 tested positive and the results of 167 samples are awaited. We’re in a comfortable position in phase-I even as five of our districts have been declared corona hotspots. Assam’s testing of 120 persons per 10 lakh population is better than most other States in the country.

According to Sarma, around 84,000 people were home quarantined in the State and 72,000 them have exceeded their quarantine period. While 1,512 are in government quarantine centres now, 98 others are quarantined in hospitals.

On the people of Assam now staying in other States of the country, Sarma said, “Around 4.32 lakh such people contacted us. The total number of such people including their family members, may be 10-15 lakh,. If they want to come to the State after the lockdown, we need to quarantine all of them. That’s a big challenge for us. We’re working out a strategy to face that eventuality. However, we’re ready to extend them all financial help.”

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