COVID Recovery Test & Mortality Rates in a good position till now: Himanta Biswa Sarma

GUWAHATI: Assam is in a good position insofar as the COVID-19 recovery, test, and mortality rates till now as compared to the national scenario, said Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
while addressing the media here on Monday.

Sarma added, "As on 4:30 pm today, there are 5,586 positive cases; of which 3,521 patients have been discharged. With the present COVID-19 recovery rate at 63.3%, we are in the third position in the country. The average recovery rate of the country is 55.77%."

Minister Sarma further said, "Till now, the casualties owing to coronavirus infection across the State are 10. Leaving aside the other north-eastern States, the mortality rate of Assam is the lowest at 0.16%. On the other hand, the nationwide casualty rate is 3.22% with 13,699 deaths."

The highest spike on a single day in Assam was registered on June 21 with 331 positive cases out of 15,000 tests, said Sarma, adding, "Prior to this, the highest spike of 285 from around 8,000 tests was on June 4. However, there is no need for the public to panic because the spikes have been due to the increase in the number of tests that were conducted.

"Another positive aspect is that the doubling rate of positive cases now is at the gap of 13 days whereas it was just seven days. However, we noticed a faster doubling rate between May 20 and May 23."

He added, "Till date, Assam has conducted 3 lakh COVID-19 tests. In the last nine days, we carried out 1 lakh such tests. The State has conducted tests of 8,229 tests per million persons; and in this aspect we occupy the sixth position in the country. The five States that have carried out more tests than Assam are Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan."

On the returnees to the State, Minister Sarma said, "So far, 2,43,414 persons have returned to Assam. The breakup is: 1,09,000 by trains; 73,000 by roadways; and 60,000 by airways. Each of them was tested for COVID and quarantined. The Health department personnel must be given the credit for carrying out this wonderful job. Local people have also lent their helping hands.

"Till date, 173 trains and 711 flights have reached Assam. On June 15, the highest number of people (8,586) came to Assam via trains. This incoming trend came down on Sunday with 5,000 reaching Assam. Since there will be no Shramik Express trains after June 23, we expect the pressure of incoming passengers to further lessen. Simultaneously, the pressure of quarantining people will also come down."

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