GUWAHATI, June 12 - Assam today recorded two more COVID-19 deaths as the total number of positive cases shot up to 3,693 on Friday with the detection of 263 new cases, including at least 3 GMCH doctors.
A 53-year-old woman, battling with both cancer and COVID-19, succumbed at Silchar Medical College and Hospital. The patient, identified as Mangali Rani Das, had returned from Delhi. Another patient from Baksa, Montu Ramsiary (55), who was admitted at GMCH, also died. He was suffering from other complicacies as well.
During the day, 152 cured patients were discharged from various civil, district and model hospitals, after they tested negative twice.
Meanwhile, reviewing the sudden spike in COVID-19 positive cases in the State, CM Sarbananda Sonowal, in a meeting today, asked the Health and Family Welfare Department to ramp up testing in the State.
As the virus is spreading, the existing mechanism of health in the State needs to vigorously promote testing and identify emerging hotspots, he said.
He also emphasised on the need of adhering to the safety protocols in containment zones and quarantine centres to control the spread of the disease.
The meeting also discussed the steps and protocols followed in providing clinical interventions to the positive cases and the facilities being given to quarantine centres and containment zones across the State. The meeting also reviewed the existing protocols in the face of sudden increase of infections in Guwahati and other towns of the State.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while giving a brief overview of the steps taken by his department, said that in the next 3-4 days 15 more diagnostic centres will be accredited for conducting COVID-19 testing.
The number of existing containment zones in Guwahati has shot up to 44.
In Guwahati, the Netaji Vidyapeeth at Maligaon has been declared a containment zone after a havildar of 8 APBn, who was lodged there along with over 60 other personnel, tested positive for COVID-19. The battalion personnel have been barred from doing duty for the next 14 days. Swabs of all the personnel were collected for testing.
Following detection of positive cases, areas at CISF Camp Sector III (Noonmati) and Satgaon Army Camp in the city have been declared as containment zones today.
