Schools may open from September 1: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Total cases 33,576

Active 8,085

Discharged 25,402

Death 86

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: State Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has dropped a hint that the government is contemplating on opening schools and colleges from September 1.

The Minister said this while addressing Health workers engaged in the war against COVID-19 here on Monday. "We'll hold meetings of the educational task force and find out as to under what new rules the educational institutions can be opened, without risking the students from infection. Online classes cannot be attended by all students, especially those from rural poor families.

"And this is possible only if you (Health workers) can get your job well accomplished. If we can bring COVID-19 under control by August, the life of people across the State will ease to an extent; and we can think of opening the educational institutions."

On corona cases, the Minister said, "Of late, the number of COVID-19 cases in Guwahati has come down slightly because of the lockdown and the Rapid Antigen tests. We're going to feel the positive impact of lockdown for the next three weeks. We've set a target of testing 1.50 lakh people in Guwahati. We're going to conduct such tests in offices and business establishments in the city also. By August 2, we're going to erect more COVID care centres in Guwahati with 10,000 more beds. Now on, if any employee of a shop tests COVID positive, the shop won't be treated as a containment zone."

Later in the evening, the Minister tweeted that seven people – Tulsi Prasad Deuri (59) from Jorhat, Joy Singh Bey (59) from East Karbi Anglong, Mevina Begum (26) from Kamrup (M), Dr GMS Chowdhury (72) from Dibrugarh, Ajoy Mahato (35), Puspa Roy (75) and Dinesh Chandra Das (50) from Tinsukia – succumbed to COVID-19 till the filing of this report.

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