A source involved in the testing of the samples said that close to 150 people may have contracted the virus. The Dibrugarh district administration has shut down the Zaloni tea estate which falls under Tengakhat revenue circle.
The Circle Officer of Tengakhat revenue circle, Medical Inspector of Plantations and officials from the health department have rushed to the area to take stock of the situation. The garden hospital and two vacant staff quarters have been turned into temporary isolation centres for the positive patients.
District Surveillance Officer of IDSP, Dibrugarh, Dr Nabajyoti Gogoi said that a vaccination drive would be carried out in the garden from today apart from other measures like sanitisation etc. Tea garden organisations have been demanding vaccination in the tea garden areas to avoid the spread of the virus and keep the workers safe.
Read moreThe district administration has ordered the closure of all leased weekly markets under Tengakhat Development block with immediate effect.
Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner also instructed the concerned Circle officers and BDOs to take steps to close all such markets in their respective areas if the situation demands.
The tea tribe community accounts for almost 17 per cent of Assam's population. The community is economically backward and most tea garden workers and their families live in very small accommodations in poor health conditions. Given their economic conditions and living facilities, it has been a constant cause of concern and worries for the district administrations of the tea growing areas and the state government to keep the tea garden areas COVID free.
Last year in August, 69 COVID positive cases and one death was reported. Assam tea planters are said to have taken a hit of Rs 1,218 crores during the COVID lockdown last year.
Assam on May 6 recorded the highest number of COVID deaths in a single day at 55 and active cases of 4,826.
