Assam DC, SP quarantined after coming in contact with Covid-19 patients

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said it i snot yet known how the officials came in contact with Covid-19 patients.

Published on: Apr 16, 2020, 22:37:40 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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The deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Assam’s Morigaon district have been sent to quarantine on Thursday after they came in contact with Covid-19 patients.

An ambulance taking people from the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Office to a quarantine center in Guwahati on Thursday. (ANI)

Along with deputy commissioner Rituraj Bora and superintendent of police Swapnaneel Deka, some journalists of the same district have also been sent to quarantine.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said details of how and when the officials and journalists came in contact with the patients are not available yet.

Morigaon is one of the five hotspot districts in Assam. The others in the list released by Centre on Wednesday are Nalbari, Dhubri, Goalpara and Golaghat.

Earlier in the day, two persons from Morigaon, who are secondary contacts of Nizamuddin Markaz attendees, had tested positive taking the total number of infections in Assam to 34.

The total figure increased to 35 in the evening with the Union ministry for health and family welfare including Nagaland’s lone Covid-19 positive patient to Assam’s tally. The person had been tested in Guwahati and is admitted here.

Five patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. One patient died at Silchar Medical College and Hospital last week while 29 others are admitted in various hospitals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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