Guwahati: With the number of COVID-19 cases in Guwahati continuing to rise in spite of the lockdown, it has now come to light that a city temple priest has also contracted the dreaded virus.
According to reports, the priest used to serve at a temple in the Lachit Nagar area in Guwahati, a thriving commercial hub in the metropolitan area. He was admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on June 28, following abdominal pain and a reported infection in his urinary tract. However, he was released after he started showing signs of improvement. On Tuesday, however, his test report came in bearing grim news: that he was COVID-19 positive.
After the priest's positive report came in, he was immediately transferred to the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) in the city's Panbazar area. At the same time, the swab samples of the families have also been tested who live on the same campus as the man priest who tested positive.
It needs mention here that places of worship outside the Containment Zone areas were allowed to re-open by the Government of India from June 8 onwards, during the first phase of the Unlock strategy of the Centre. In Assam also, temples, churches, and mosques, under compliance with the centre's directives, were re-opened to the public. Some -- like the Kamakhya Shakti Peeth, however -- have continued to close their doors to visitors owing to the massive spike in the number of COVID cases.
June has been an especially alarming time for India and Assam, with the rate in the rise of cases increasing day-by-day. According to Government figures, the state has registered 8,547 COVID cases so far, out of which 2,885 cases are active. As many as 12 people have died due to virus-related complications.