GUWAHATI, April 16 - Two persons from Morigaon have tested positive for COVID-19 today, taking the cumulative number of positive cases in the State to 34, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
The two from Morigaon � Samsul Alom (72) and Furkam Ali (25) � were secondary contacts of Nizamuddin Markaz attendees and were in quarantine at the Lahorighat Model Hospital.
There were seventeen people in quarantine at the Lahorighat hospital.
�They were to be released after the mandatory tests on the thirteenth and fourteenth day. These two persons, however, tested positive for COVID-19 on the 14th day,� officials said, adding that the patients are being brought to Guwahati for further treatment.
Morigaon DC Rituraj Bora, SP Swapnaneel Deka and the district�s joint director of health Dr RK Barkataky, who came in contact with the COVID-19 positive duo, have been instructed to go for quarantine at their respective quarters for 14 days. Two local TV journalists of Lahorighat have also been asked to be in home quarantine.
Meanwhile, three patients were released from Goalpara Civil Hospital today.
Sarma along with Minister of State for Health Pijush Hazarika visited the Goalpara hospital to monitor the discharge of the patients � Khabiruddin Ahmed, Shahjahan Ali Ahmed and Yusuf Ali.
�As per Indian Council of Medical Research protocol, they have been sent to 14-day home quarantine after they tested negative in two successive tests on the thirteenth and fourteenth days,� Sarma said.
Yesterday, two patients were released from the Sonapur Civil Hospital after they were declared virus-free by doctors. These released patients too will have to be in home quarantine for another 14 days as per WHO protocol.
Around ten more patients are likely to be discharged tomorrow or day after.
�By April 20, we hope to release most of the patients,� the Health Minister said.
