GUWAHATI: The rising Covid-19 cases have become a cause of worry for the Assam health department, as the daily spike in positive cases touched 92 on Tuesday, the highest in many months.
Even though the positivity rate remained as low as 0.40% on Monday, health officials said they are fearing fresh Covid cases may go up further if Covid protocol is not sincerely followed.
This election season saw rampant violation of social distancing norms. Among districts, Kamrup (Metro) reported the highest 26 positive cases on Tuesday.
The arrival of air and rail passengers is the biggest concern for health officials. Last year, Covid cases surged in Assam after other states outside of the northeast saw a spike. This time also health experts fear cases may increase like last year.
“We fear infection may go up as the number of new Covid cases is on the rise in western Indian states,” Assam NHM executive director, Dr Manoj Choudhury, told TOI.
He added that there was a time post-lockdown when the state managed to bring down the number of daily Covid cases to 10-15. “There cannot be a sudden surge without the infection being brought in from other states,” he said.
According to health department figures, a total of six air passengers were detected Covid positive when they landed in various airports in Assam on Monday.
Sources said that in the recent past, passengers who arrived from Maharashtra and Delhi also tested positive on arrival in Assam.
Health officials maintained that there is a need to increase the number of tests in the state immediately, but the upcoming Bihu festivities could be a spreader.
Preparations are on to celebrate the spring festival in a big way as the state could not celebrate it last year because of the pandemic.
Guardians and civil society groups have started demanding the shift to the online mode of education once again. The new academic season started in Assam on April 1.
“Students are most vulnerable to the infection. The government should immediately switch over to the online mode as a precautionary measure,” read a statement issued by the Guwahati Yuba Nagarik Samity president, Kailash Sarma, and general secretary, Rajesh Sarma.
