Assam reports 1 348 new COVID-19 cases seven more deaths

    (Eds: Updating with latest inputs)
    Guwahati, Jul 27 (PTI) Seven more COVID-19 patients
died in Assam on Monday, taking the toll to 86, Health
Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
    The state also reported 1,348 new cases, following
which the tally climbed to 33,567.
    The latest fatalities include a 26-year-old woman from
Guwahati and a 59-year-old forest official from East Karbi
Anglong district, he said.
    A 72-year-old doctor from Dibrugarh and another person
from Jorhat district also lost their lives due to the
infection.
    Three people, including a woman, from Tinsukia
district also died during the day, the minister said.
    There are 9,447 active cases at present, while 24,040
have recovered and three migrated out of the state, Sarma said
    Of the fresh cases, Guwahati reported 155.
    Guwahati, which has reported over 13,500 cases so far,
is seeing downward trend in positive cases, though the
positivity rate is still at ten per cent, the minister said.
    "We have to bring down the positivity rate to 5 per
cent and for this, there is a need for aggressive testing,"
the minister said while addressing health workers at the
Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
    He said that 60 new COVID screening centres have been
set up in Guwahati, taking the total strength to 103 and from
Tuesday testing will be carried out in two shifts by the
centres.
    "In the first half, tests will be conducted at the
screening centres while in the second half, the screening team
will visit different areas to conducted random tests,
following prior intimation," Sarma said.
    Each screening centre should test 50 samples daily and
"we will have to conduct at least 1,50,000 tests in Guwahati
to completely reduce the number of positive cases", he said.
    The recent lockdown, followed sincerely by the people
of Guwahati, and the rapid antigen tests has helped to a great
extent in containing the spread of the virus in the city to a
considerable extent, he said.
    So far, 1,208 Assam Police personnel have tested
positive for COVID-19 and of them, four people have died.
Further, 936 recovered and 187 have rejoined duty, Additional
Director General of Police (Law and Order) G P Singh said.
    Sarma, who also holds the education portfolio, said
that by September 1, the state has to consider reopening of
educational institutions as students cannot suffer further
because everyone does not have access to online education.
    Meanwhile, two COVID-positive women gave birth to
babies -- a girl and a boy -- by caesarean section at the
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital in Barpeta
and Diphu Medical College Hospital, respectively.
    The condition of both the babies and their mothers was
stable, according to the doctors.
    The state also got its 17th laboratory for testing
samples for COVID-19 as the second facility at the Jorhat
Medical College became functional during the day.
    Over 7.74 lakh samples have been tested in the state
so far. PTI DG
SOM SOM

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