Assam coronavirus update: Lockdown in Guwahati may get extended by a week

In view of surge in Covid-19 cases, the Assam government is likely to extend the lockdown in the Kamrup (Metro) district for one more week after the 14-day shutdown ends on Sunday.

"The Chief Secretary as the Chairman of the executive committee of the disaster management in consultation with the citizens' forum and MLAs of the Kamrup (Metro) district would take the decision on the extension.

"Though the health department has said one-week extension will be enough, others are advocating two more weeks in view of the rising infection," Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

With a population of 1.12 million, northeast's main commercial hub Guwahati is the headquarters of the Kamrup (Metro) district.

With some strict restrictions, Guwahati was likely to re-open in the fourth week of the month, he said and added, around 10 per cent population of the city had been tested for Covid-19. But for Guwahati, no major city in the country had done co much testing, he claimed.
 

With discharge of 9,848 patients of the 15,536 cases, the Assam's recovery rate was 63.39 per cent against the national average of 62.78 per cent, he said.

"In terms of recovery, Assam is fourth position after Delhi (recovery rate 77 per cent), Gujarat (70 per cent), West Bengal (63.99 per cent). After the rapid antigen test, it was found that the infection was on decline in Guwahati," he said.

The Minister said Delhi topped in per million tests with 39,000 tests, followed by Tamil Nadu (19,000), Andhra Pradesh (18,000) and Assam (15,744). "Next week, Assam will be in second position in per million tests. In Assam, 525,485 samples have been tested," he claimed.

In the past 10 days, on an average 700-900 cases are being found in Assam and 450 patient recovering, Sarma said. With 16 deaths in the past two days, the Covid-19 toll increased to 36.