Covid-19 spreads to Assam tea gardens; nearly 300 cases reported

On Thursday, Assam recorded 4,936 new positive cases, which was the highest-ever single day figure for the state since the pandemic started last year. It also recorded 46 deaths on Thursday

Published on: May 7, 2021, 10:48:57 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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Covid-19 has found its way to Assam’s tea gardens with close to 300 positive cases detected in Dibrugarh and Biswanath districts in the past few days.

“We found many cases in Zaloni tea estate. On the first day of testing, 39 positive cases were detected. On day 2, 90 reports came positive and nearly 50 more on the third day,” said Dr Nabajyoti Gogoi, joint director (in-charge), health services, Dibrugarh, said on Friday.

He added that around 60 cases were found in two other tea gardens after a special testing drive. The tea gardens have been declared containment zones and as most cases are asymptomatic, they have been quarantined or in home isolation, depending on their condition.

“A sero survey in several tea gardens in our district last year found that most people were not infected during the first wave,” said Dr Gogoi.

“This year, when cases started rising in the state, we conducted tests in these places again and found positive cases. If the test drive hadn’t been conducted, most patients, who are asymptomatic, would have gone unnoticed and continued to spread the virus,” he added.

Several cases among tea garden workers have been detected in Biswanath district as well and the administration has taken measures to ensure the virus doesn’t spread to other areas.

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“We have detected 46 cases in Nilpur tea garden in the past 4-5 days. The area has been declared a containment zone and infected persons isolated. Most of them are asymptomatic. Those showing severe symptoms have been transferred to hospitals,” said Biswanath deputy commissioner Pranab Kumar Sarmah.

On Thursday, Assam recorded 4,936 new positive cases, which was the highest-ever single day figure for the state since the pandemic started last year. It also recorded 46 deaths on Thursday.

At present, Assam has 31,829 active cases. The state’s daily positivity rate has been recorded between 8% and 10% for the past several days.

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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