COVID-19 test made mandatory for Assam Legislative Assembly employees

Guwahati: In view of the skyrocketing COVID-19 cases in Assam, all the officers, staff including Grade IV employees of the Assam Legislative Assembly have been instructed to get themselves tested with Rapid Antigen Test for COVID-19 ahead of the Assembly session to be held from August 31.

To this end, the Assam health department has organized a testing drive that shall be conducted on August 28 and 29 from 11 AM onwards in the Conference Hall of the GNB Bhawan of the Assam Legislative Assembly.

The assembly has also asked the journalists to get themselves tested before the assembly session. Owing to the rise in the number of cases in the Northeast Indian state, the Assembly shall function with 'only' 50% capacity in the upcoming session.

The order to this effect was issued on Wednesday by M.K. Deka, the Principal Secretary of the Assam Legislative Assembly.

"In view of the upcoming Autumn session of Assam Legislative Assembly commencing from 31st August, 2020, and to avoid large scale spread of COVID-19 in the Office premises of this Secretariat, all Officers/Staff including Gr-IV employees are hereby requested to get themselves tested the Rapid Antigen Test for COVID-19 organized by the Health Department", read the communique.

It is to be noted that Assam has registered a total of 94,592 coronavirus cases so far. 74,814 patients have recovered from the disease, leaving the number of active cases at 19,515. The state has reported 260 deaths so far. Meanwhile, 67,151 new coronavirus cases and 1,059 new deaths were recorded in India in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said.

The fresh numbers have pushed the national total since the start of the pandemic to 32,34,474 cases, including 59,449 deaths. 24,67,758 patients have recovered from the infection in the country, pushing the recovery rate to 76.29 percent. Maharastra, with 7,03,823 cases, remains the worst-hit state in the country, as far as the coronavirus numbers are concerned.

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