Assam: 'Conduct more tests to prevent local spread'

SILCHAR: Commissioner and secretary, health and family welfare, Assam Anurag Goel on Sunday asked the Hailakandi district administration to conduct more rapid antigen tests and isolate those found Covid-positive to prevent further community transmission.


Reviewing the Covid-19 pandemic situation, Goel said the best way to contain the spread of coronavirus is through aggressive testing in marketplaces, godowns and in areas with most cases.

“Aggressive rapid antigen testing and isolating the positive persons is the best way to tackle the situation. The more the number of cases are detected, the more the chances of containing the disease,” he said.

Citing the case of Guwahati, Goel said aggressive testing and immediate isolation of Covid-positive patients has enabled to bring down drastically the rate of positivity in areas with a high number of cases. “It’s a credit rather than discredit for an administration to detect more number of corona cases, as this is the best way to arrest the spread of the disease,” he quipped. Setting a target of 1,500 swab tests everyday for the district administration, Goel urged the administration to set up two to three Covid-19 testing and screening centres in those areas with maximum number of positive cases and to conduct aggressive testing in the next 15 to 20 days.