GUWAHATI, Aug 5 - Despite the increasing number of positive cases, the COVID-19 positivity rate in the State has come down in the last few days.
Meanwhile, six more COVID patients - Ramesh Chandra Medhi (81) of Kamrup (M), Ram Kumar Mahato (58) and Tarini Charan Kalita (60) of Dibrugarh, Badal Debnath (56) of Tinsukia, Kanu Paul (56) of Cachar and Lalbhanu Khatoon (35) of Darrang � succumbed today. With this, the death toll reached 121.
In the last 24 hours, a total of 59,162 tests were carried out in the State and 2,284 positive cases were detected.
�The positivity rate today was 3.86 per cent,� Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.
On Wednesday, 362 new cases were detected in Kamrup Metro, 123 in Kamrup, 157 in Nagaon and 177 in Dibrugarh. The total number of positive cases stands at 50,445 in the State.
�The key is testing. We need to do more and more tests. Of course, by testing more we will get more patients, but that is how we can contain the virus,� said Minister of State for Health Pijush Hazarika, adding that the positivity rate was above 5 per cent four/five days ago but it dropped to 4.86 per cent yesterday.
He said the State had targeted 50,000 tests on August 4, and could achieve nearly 60,000.
�On August 12, our target is to conduct over one lakh tests,� he added.
Positive cases continued to be detected across the State. Some towns in the State have enforced local lockdowns for specified periods to contain the community transmission of the novel coronavirus.
With the State Health Department targeting to treat 20,000 patients at a time, the district administrations are opening COVID care centres in their respective areas.
Around 1,471 patients were discharged today, taking the total number of cured patients to 35,892.
