Spectre of Covid raising its head again in the Assam?

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Along with certain other States of the country, the spectre of Covid appears to be rearing its head again in Assam over the last 10 days or so, as 65 new cases have been registered with a positivity rate of around 2 per cent.

It is pertinent to note in this context there Covid tests are no longer being carried out at public places like railway stations and airports. As a result, there is a strong possibility that Covid-infected passengers are entering the State from other hotspots via trains and planes.

The situation is rendered more alarming by the fact that thousands of devotees are set to enter the State from other parts of the country to participate in the ensuing Ambubachi Mela at the Kamakhya temple, which will commence from June 22. Although the Government has imposed certain restrictions in connection with the annual event, yet it estimates that around 30,000 devotees will congregate in Guwahati to attend the Mela.

The National Health Mission (NHM), Assam is seized of the matter and it is monitoring the situation across the State. The NHM has already resumed door-to-door vaccination drives.

Health Department sources said that most of the people are no longer wearing masks, using sanitizers or maintaining social distancing. People have also stopped getting themselves tested for Covid, they pointed out and added that more than the number of new positive cases the worrisome aspect is the positivity rate, because the detections have been made out of a very small pool of people who are undergoing the Covid test.

The sources also stressed on the significance of the fact that most of the new cases have been detected in Guwahati, which sees a lot of footfall from other areas.

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