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Doctor, bankers, cops test COVID-19 positive; markets shut in many places

By Correspondent

MANGALDAI, July 11 - Darrang district on Friday registered 47 COVID-19 positive cases, including that of a doctor serving in a peripheral hospital under Kharupetia block PHC, a hospital cleaning staff, nine employees of a private nursing home, two female staff of SBI, a police constable serving as a PSO, a postman of Mangaldai head post office, two CRPF and one SSB jawan.

The tally of positive cases in the district went up to 412 till Friday evening. Swab samples of these people were collected on July 3, 4 and 7. Fortunately enough, nearly 70 people associated with SBI Mangaldai, whose swab samples were collected on July 3, have tested negative. Similarly, except one, all 53 postal staff whose swabs were collected have tested negative.

The district administration on Friday lifted the order of containment zone at SBI Mangaldai branch, allowing the bank to resume normal functions, said Navajyoti Oja, ADC in charge of District Disaster Management Department.

SBI Mangaldai chief manager Uttam Kalita on Saturday said that after discussion with the administration and intimation to police, SBI officials started depositing cash in ATM booths despite it being a holiday. Normal banking will resume only from Monday.

AMSA demands withdrawal of new directive: The Assam Medical Service Association (AMSA) has protested against the new extended service period and quarantine directives for medical staff engaged in the treatment of COVID patients.

In a letter to Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, the AMSA demanded withdrawal of the new order, and pointed out that 11 days of uninterrupted service instead of the existing seven days would increase the risk of COVID infection for the health staff due to longer exposure.

Moreover, during the hot and humid summer days, it will be too much troublesome, unbearable and exhausting to enforce 11-hour service wearing PPE kits.

The AMSA also termed the Rapid Point of Care Antigen Detection Test as quite unscientific, unreasonable and medically unacceptable. The petition referred to recent observations and advisories of WHO and ICMR in this regard.

Silchar Staff Correspondent adds: Sensing a heavy rush of people in various biweekly and weekly markets across the district, Cachar Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, in an order issued on Friday, directed total closure of the markets in rural areas across the district till 7 am of July 19 as a prohibitory measure. Violators would be dealt with as per provisions under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The district adminstration reimposed the odd-even formula for vehicles within the district. The order stated that it has become extremely necessary to minimise the crowding caused especially due to random plying of vehicles. However, vehicles used for essential services and COVID-19 duty have been kept out of the ambit of the order.

ANN Service from Hatsingimari adds: Another 10 COVID-19 cases were detected in Southsalmara Mankachar district on Friday, which caused alarm among the public.

The patients were identified as a contractual employee of the Hatsingimari DC office, two police constables of Southsalmara PS, two police constables of Sukchar PS, a police staffer at Kharuabanda police out post, and four others.

The patients were admitted at Hatsingimari COVID hospital. Except two persons, the others do not have travelling history.

In Hatsingimari, there are complaints of people not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing or other minimum precautions. The district administration has announced total lockdown in Hatsingimari and Mankachar on Saturdays and Sundays and restricted the weekly and bi-weekly markets in the district.

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