156 new COVID-19 cases reported in Assam; state tally at 548

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Assam surged to 548 after the state recorded its highest single-day spike of 156 cases on Monday, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Of the total cases, currently, 479 affected persons are receiving treatment in the state, while 62 patients have so far recovered from the infection, four have died and three have migrated out of the state.​

"Alert ~ Nine new cases of #COVID19+ reported. Swabs for testing taken before people sent for quarantine. All from Barpeta," he tweeted.

In a series of tweets earlier during the day, the minister said samples of 147 people from across the districts tested positive for coronavirus, highest being in Golaghat with 59 COVID-19 cases.

Karimganj district recorded 21 positive cases, followed by 17 in Lakhimpur, 15 in Guwahati, six in Kokrajhar, five each in Cachar and Sivasagar, four each in Dhemaji and Hailakandi, three in South Salmara Mankachar, two each in Tinsukia and Nalbari, and one each in Nagaon, Jorhat, Morigaon and Goalpara, he added.

Five patients recovered from COVID-19 and were discharged from different hospitals in the state, the minister said.

"Five patients have been discharged today after testing negative for #COVID19 twice. Three from Guwahati and two from Jorhat medical college. Best wishes," he tweeted.

Sarma said most of the latest cases are returnees from outside the state.

"It is clarified that all swabs are collected from people soon after they arrive from outstation. Subsequently they are transferred to the quarantine centres. Therefore most of the positive cases in Assam are imported and not home- grown!" he said in a tweet.

After inter-state movement through road and rail networks was allowed during the lockdown period, Assam saw a significant increase in COVID-19 cases.

With domestic flight operations resuming to Assam from Monday, the health officials are expecting this spike to be even more sharper in coming days.

To screen all the people coming from outside the state by road and rail networks, the government has set up five zonal screening camps besides those already existing at the district headquarters and local levels.

Kokrajhar has the zonal screening camp for Lower Assam districts, Tezpur for North Assam districts, Jorhat for Upper Assam districts, Guwahati for Central Assam districts and Silchar for Barak Valley districts.

A total of 70,029 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in seven laboratories in Assam and NIV in Pune, state the Health and Family Welfare Department said in its daily bulletin on Sunday night.

(With PTI Inputs)