1 018 fresh COVID-19 cases in Assam infection tally nears 24 000-mark

(Eds: Updating )
    Guwahati, Jul 19 (PTI) Assam reported 1,018 fresh COVID-19 cases and four deaths due to the disease on Sunday, taking the state’s infection tally to 23,999 and the death toll to 57, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
    The 1,018 new cases include 577 from Guwahati, he said.
    The recent coronavirus fatalities include a 78-year old woman from Kamrup Metropolitan district, a 46-year old Assam Rifles jawan in Silchar, a 74-year old man in Tinsukia and another death
    "In an irreparable loss to four families, I am anguished to share that four persons have succumbed to #COVID19. My heartfelt condolences,” the Minister tweeted. The total number of deaths due to the infection, confirmed by the Death Audit Bureau has reached 57 with the mortality rate at 0.25 per cent.
    Among the 1,018 new positive cases, 577 are from Guwahati city which falls under Kamrup Metropolitan district where lockdown is in force but certain relaxations have been initiated by the state government for the ‘unlockdown’ process to begin from Monday.
    "1018 new # COVID19+VE patients reported in Assam today, with 577 cases from Guwahati city alone. Important to follow containment measures,” Sarma tweeted.
     The doubling rate of the cases has at present is 13.4 days.
    Meanwhile, 858 patients were released on Sunday, taking the total number of cured and discharged patients to 16,023, he said.
    The recovery rate was 69.72 per cent which the minister described as "impressive".
    Of the total 23,999 cases, there are 7,916 active cases, 16,203 have recovered, 57 have died and three migrated out of the state.
    During the last 24 hours, more than 18,000 tests have been done, with total tests conducted so far reaching 6,51,179, the minister said.
    Meanwhile, 70 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported from Assam's Raj Bhawan, already declared as a containment zone, while BJP MLA from Sonari, Superintendent of Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) and the Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner have also tested positive, an official said on Sunday.
    Among the 70 cases in Raj Bhawan, 27 were detected Saturday night while 43 people, including the commissioner and secretary to Governor, have tested positive over a period of time since July 1, a Raj Bhawan official said.
    The entire Raj Bhawan campus was declared a containment zone on July 4 after two staff members of the Governor's office had tested positive for the disease.     Governor Jagadish Mukhi, his wife Prem Mukhi and 176 employees, security forces deployed at the Raj Bhawan and their family members were tested on July 1 after two Personal Security Officers had earlier tested positive.
    BJP's Sonari MLA Nabanita Handique became the fourth party legislator to test COVID-19 positive in Assam. The legislator's son, driver and a personal assistant had earlier tested positive while her results came as positive on Sunday, an official of the Charaideo district said.
    The other BJP MLAs to test positive are Patharkandi's Krishnendu Paul, Borkhetry's Naryan Deka of Borkhetry and Bolin Chetia from Sadiya.
    Another prominent politician of the state to test positive for coronavirus is the All India Mahila Congress president and former Silchar MP Sushmita Dev, who has since tested negative and released from the Silchar Medical College Hospital on Sunday.
    GMCH Superintendent Abhijeet Sharma had also tested positive for COVID-19 following which swab samples of other doctors and nurses who came in contact with him are also being tested, a senior doctor said.
    Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Bhaskar Pegu has also tested positive with his residence and office have been declared as a containment zone, a senior district administration official said.
    Assam's Minister of State for Labour and Tinsukia MLA Sanjay Kishan, who attended a programme with the deputy commissioner on Saturday, has gone into self quarantine. Pegu is the second deputy commissioner after Udalguri's P R Gharphalia to test positive for the disease in the state.
    Several other senior bureaucrats of the Assam government and their family membere have also tested positive.
     In the state police department, 869 personnel have tested positive till date, out of whom, 484 have recovered and one person died, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) G P Singh said.
    PTI DG SRY

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)