A total of 4,945 cases have been detected in Assam in the past 10 days (File)
Guwahati:
Assam sees a huge spike in COVID-19 cases, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday, alerting the people of Guwahati, who have reported 2,700 cases in the past 10 days. The current coronavirus count in Assam, which registered its first case 96 days ago on March 31, is 11,001.
“Now it’s in the community. With that, Guwahati has officially entered the pandemic situation now and it is getting bigger and bigger,” Sarma said at a press conference in the city. The health department has started antigen tests for faster results in an hour as well as RT-PCR tests that take 3-4 days, he said.
Guwahati recorded its highest peak of 777 cases on Sunday – about 30% of all tests done. Statewide, over 1,200 cases have been reported. A total of 4,945 cases have been detected in the state in the past 10 days.
The city is already subject to a “strict” 14-day lockout since June 29 which will see “minimal relaxation” for four days from Monday, during which only the city’s independent grocery stores will be allowed to open. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. , an official order has been added.
Sarma said the numbers will continue to rise at the alarming rate until at least Tuesday. “We hope that fewer positive cases will start to occur between July 8 and July 9. The current numbers are the results of the antigens and the results of the tests done before or before the lock,” said Sarma.
On the positive side, statewide, Assam has maintained a doubling rate of 13 days for more than 10 days in the state, official sources said.
But for Guwahati, with a population of more than 22 lakh, the prospects are worrying.
On Wednesday, Mr. Sarma said that the city and its outskirts had about 1,538 hospital beds dedicated to COVID-19, 987 of which are already occupied. He said the health department aims to increase that number to 3,000 by the end of this week. However, since then, an additional 1,872 cases have been detected, putting the state government in a difficult situation.
More worrying is the concentration of cases – 1,414 cases per million in Guwahati, according to official sources. Experts believe that the higher the number of cases, the higher the chances of community transmission.
Sarma also ruled out “home isolation” as he believes it would not work in Guwahati.
“We will allow home isolation for those who can obtain written consent from their housing companies that neighbors support on this issue. In Guwahati, home isolation may not work … the government is unable to organize emergency medical care at home, “added the minister.
