Assam records highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases, crosses 5,500-mark

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The number of COVID-19 cases rose to 5,586 in Assam on Sunday, with 331 people testing positive, the highest in a single day, according to state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The previous single day highest was 285 cases on June 4.

The state’s tally of positive cases reached 5,586, with nine deaths and over 3,000 recovered patients, he said.

The minister said that 198 new cases were reported late tonight, while 133 cases were reported during the day, taking the daily total to 331, the highest so far on a single day.

The state’s recovery rate has improved to 63.2 per cent with 202 more patients discharged on Sunday from various civil, district and model hospitals after testing negative, taking the total of released patients to 3404, the minister said.

Of the total 5,586 positive cases, there are 2,170 active cases, nine deaths, 3,202 recovered cases and three persons who migrated out of the state, he said. The total number of people tested so far in the state is 2,88,677, the minister said.

“Two days in a row our team managed to conduct over 15,000 more COVID-19 tests today, taking our total to 2,88,677. Our targeted testing is designed to trace all potential infections”, the minister said. The number of people in institutional quarantine facilities is 38,568, while the number of people in home quarantine is 1,19,405, he said. There are 285 containment zones in 23 districts of the state with Kamrup (Metro) having the highest of 129.

Meanwhile, the Assam Targeted Surveillance Program (ATSP), aiming to cover more than 50,000 random tests during a week, continued for the fifth day on Sunday. “We aim to conduct more than 50,000 random testings in a week’s time, targeting vulnerable areas”, he said. Under ATSP, samples of people working in locations such as truck parking places, loading and unloading centres, godown areas, weigh bridges, dhabas etc. will be collected and tested.

Staff of hotels used as institutional quarantine will also be tested along with frontline officials like police personnel, the minister said. ATSP will also cover the family members or co-residents of homes of persons who have been released from the institutional quarantine, he added.

The entire exercise is expected to be finished by June 27, and shall involve the deputy commissioners of each district who will ensure the availability of adequate facilities, the minister said.

In order to facilitate people to get themselves tested without having to visit hospitals, some health facilities have been identified by the health department where swab collection for COVID-19 will be done free of cost, Sarma added.

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