OUR CORRESPONDENT
TINSUKIA: Though COVID positivity rate in Tinsukia district has indicated a declining trend, closely nearing to optimum level, rural and tea garden belt still remain very vulnerable even as RT PCR rate in much higher than that of RAT positivity.
While positivity indicated 5.13 and 6.23 against RAT and RT PCR respectively on June 5 given that the samples of RT PCR were collected on the same date and the results declared on June 7, the RAT positivity was shown to be 2.74 and 3.51 on June 6 and June 7 respectively and if trend continues for a week with corresponding declination in RT PCR results, it can be presumed that the transmission is under control though the WHO recommended that the per cent positive should remain below 5 per cent for at least two weeks to achieve lower threshold before lifting complete restrictions.
But the picture emanating from tea gardens is not very encouraging as bulk COVID positive cases in Tinsukia district have been reported from tea garden belt. Though vaccination exercise has been accelerated, the garden management in some tea gardens allegedly remained indifferent towards vaccination of garden workers. Several factors have cropped up in garden areas that became detrimental to the vaccination drive. Rumour and misconception took health workers on the back foot. Following the death of a person after taking first jab, the rumour spread in several gardens and some workers abstained from vaccination. Second, the management allegedly refused to declare vaccination date as paid wage day. Besides, the target people were not properly identified and intimated by the department concerned and it was carried out on random basis, remarked a garden sardar of a Doomdooma-based garden.