Jorhat: In a noble thought, the Jorhat Kenduguri Bihu committee has used the cancelled Bihu funds to buy an ambulance during these tough COVID times.
According to reports, this step has been done to support the medical system in the state, as it is currently witnessing a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
The step taken by Bihu Committee has been appreciated by many. This indeed is smart thinking and a very sensible use of funds.
Meanwhile, Assam as of Friday reported 2384 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total active cases in the state to 12,595. Kamrup Metro reported 883 fresh COVID cases followed by Kamrup Rural at 159, Dibrugarh at 154, and Nagaon at 100. 12 COVID-induced fatalities have been reported in the state, taking the total death toll to 1,172. Kamrup Metro reported 5 deaths, Kokrajhar reported 2 deaths, and 1 death each was reported from the districts of Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup Rural, and Udalguri. The positivity rate in the state is 3.29% while the recovery rate is 93.53%.
Read moreIndia once again shattered its own previous records as 3.46 lakh fresh COVID-19 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours which takes the nation's total caseload to 1.66 crores. The number of active cases stands at 25.43 lakh. 2,624 new COVID-induced fatalities have been reported in the last 24 hours, the highest deaths recorded in a single day so far, taking the total tally of deaths to 1.89 lakh.
Read moreHere is the list of the SOP for Bihu:
(i) All organizers and volunteers of such events will have to test their COVID status three days before the event and after it.
(ii) All such events should be closed by 11 pm.
(iii) All event sites should be spacious and be kept open on all sides.
(iv) Physical distance has to be maintained.
(v) Organizers must take measures to avoid crowds.
(vi) Each and every participant has to be thermal screened before the entry to the function.
(vii) Wearing of masks is mandatory.
(viii) Provisions for hand sanitizers have to be made at the gate and nearby areas, including the parking places.
(ix) The venue has to be sanitized before the event and after it when the crowd leaves.
(x) The organizers have to seek permission from the district administration concerned and mention the number of people likely to gather. They should also mention the capacity of the event site or venue.
(xi) The venue should have multiple entry and exit gates.
Other than Jorhat, many places in the state, have cancelled Bihu functions as per the SOP issued by the Assam government such as Guwahati, Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, and more.
Also, there have been reports of various artists violating the COVID-19 protocols during their Bihu function on the occasion of the Rongali Bihu. Among the artists who violated the SOP issued by the government are popular vocalist Priyanka Bharali who performed till 1 AM at Pandu, singer Gitanjali Das who performed at Noonmati till 12 AM, singer Achurjya Borpatra who performed on stage till 11.55 PM in Baragaon and Maligaon, Subasana Dutta who performed at Silpukhuri on April 16.
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