Chief Secretary hints at another lockdown for "careless" Assam

Guwahati: Issuing a warning to the "careless" denizens of Assam, state Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna on Friday (August 28) said that if protocols such as the wearing of masks and social distancing are not adhered to, another lockdown could be in the offing.

Chastising a section of society for openly flouting the COVID-19 norms, Kumar Sanjay Krishna said, "If the people do not wear masks and the number )of coronavirus cases) continues to spike upwards, the Government of Assam might be compelled to impose yet another lockdown. Although that is not a course that we wish to take, if the numbers do not dip, we will be forced to take drastic measures yet again."

Sanjay Krishna also urged the people to ensure that they don masks while stepping out of their houses to minimize the chance of Covid-19 transmission. "I do not know why people are adopting such a carefree attitude. It is a matter of great concern as the number of deaths in the state is rising rapidly. Although the death rate in Assam is less in comparison to the other Indian states, 7-10 people are now dying on a daily basis. Furthermore, the deaths are being reported in all brackets."

The Chief Secretary's warning comes amid reports of rampant violation of rules; ever since the curbs were relaxed in Assam with a view to restoring economic activities, the Government-prescribes norms seem to have gone for an absolute toss. In Guwahati city, for instance, many citizens have been witnessed boarding city buses without donning masks or following the social distancing measures.

Assam has so far been subjected to several rounds of lockdowns in a bid to contain the spread of the contagious disease. The state's largest urban area of Guwahati city still finds itself cloaked under the phenomenon of weekend lockdowns. Furthermore, night curfews, which are no longer advised by the Centre, are still very much an ongoing phenomenon in Assam.

Assam COVID-19 Update:

Assam reported 2,036 new coronavirus cases and four more deaths due to the virus on Thursday, August 27. With the detection of these new cases, the state confirmed cases tally has now mounted to 98,807.

Out of the fresh cases, 481 cases were reported in Kamrup (Metro), 146 cases in Jorhat district, 129 cases in Dibrugarh, and 110 cases in Hailakandi, informed the state's health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Sarma also said that four more persons, aged between 46 and 65 years, died due to the coronavirus infection in the state the in last 24 hours.

"2,036 Covid cases detected today. 35,395 tests were done in the last 24 hours. Positivity Rate- 5.75 per cent. Kamrup M- 481, Jorhat 146, Dibrugarh- 129, Hailakandi- 110. (sic)," Sarma wrote in a tweet.

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