Assam COVID-19 positive tally zooms from 1000 to over 2000 in just 6 days

Assam had recorded 1,000 cases on May 29, almost two months after the first coronavirus case was detected in the state on March 31. But it took just 6 days for that figure to double and touch the 2000-mark.

A day after the single biggest daily surge of 269 cases, Assam recorded 243 new COVID-19 positive cases on Thursday to take the state’s tally to 2074 cases.

The return of over 2.5 lakh people to Assam from all over the country since the ban on inter-state movement was lifted on May 4 and domestic flights resumed on May 25, has led to the spike in Covid-19 positive cases. (PTI PHOTO.)

The state had recorded 1000 cases on May 29, almost two months after the first case was detected on March 31. But it took just 6 days for that figure to double and cross the 2000 figure mark.

Return of over 2.5 lakh persons to the state from all over the country since ban on inter-state movement was lifted on May 4 and domestic flights resumed on May 25 are reasons for the spike in positive cases.

According to official estimates, nearly 1,800 of the total cases in Assam are of people who came from other states by roads, railways and air.

Till Thursday evening, 443 patients had recovered, 4 had died, 1539 are undergoing treatment and 3 migrated back to their states before recovery.

The state has ramped up testing facilities considerably to test swab samples of all those coming back to the state. Till Thursday 133029 samples were tested at the seven authorized government laboratories in the state.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said recently that the state now has a capacity to test nearly 10,000 samples daily and by June 15 around 2 lakh samples would be tested.

The state has a policy of mandatory testing of all those who are returning to the state. All returnees are required to undergo a total 14 days of mandatory quarantine—including institutional and home.

Swabs of returnees are taken before they enter institutional quarantine. Once their test results come in 3-4 days, they are allowed to go home and spend the rest of the 14 days in isolation if the test results come negative.

The state has 3,338 isolation beds, 595 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 398 ventilators to treat critically ill patients in government and private hospitals. The state has several mass quarantine facilities where over 27,000 persons can be kept.