2 more test COVID-19 positive in Assam; cases rise to 91

Guwahati, May 16 () Two more persons testedpositive for COVID-19 in Guwahati on Saturday, taking thetotal number of cases to 91 in Assam, Health Minister HimantaBiswa Sarma said.

A barber and a cart-puller, who tested positive onSaturday, are contacts of the migrant worker who worked in apotato godown and had tested positive on Monday.

Out of the 91 positive cases, 46 are active cases, twopersons have died, two migrated and 41 have been dischargedfrom hospitals.

"2 more persons, related to Aloo Godam case, test#COVID19+ in Guwahati," the minister tweeted.

The duo were asymptomatic and have been admitted toMahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital.

"To oversee the evacuation of two new #COVID19positive cases, I went to Kumarpara along with officials. Theyhave been transferred to MMCH. Both the patients wereasymptomatic, and were found through contact tracing. There isno need to fear," the minister said in another tweet.

Three persons had tested COVID-19 positive on Fridaynight with one from Sarusajai quarantine facility, another aperson in Guwahati Medical College Hospital and the thirdpatient migrated to West Bengal.

Guwahati reported 29 cases since Monday while sixcases were reported last week, including a 16-year old girlwho was detected to be COVID-19 positive after she passedaway.

The highest of 15 cases, all contacts of the migrantworker, were reported on a single day on Wednesday and340 persons were traced as contacts of these 15 persons. Theirsample results are awaited.

Seven persons, including three cancer patients, threeof their attendants and a 13-year old girl, who underwent aheart surgery recently, tested positive on Thursday. They hadreturned recently from Mumbai by bus.

The Kamrup (Metro) district administration hasdeclared several areas, including a bank branch visited bysome of the 15 positive persons, in and around the city'scommercial hub Fancy Bazaar as containment zone.

Meanwhile, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital,which was closed for new patients after a post-graduatemedical student tested positive last week, reopened onSaturday.

The minister said, it resumed operations after 2,200samples of doctors, nurses, staff and people in surroundingareas were tested and all except three have tested negative.

Restrictions around two hostels of the GMCH areaswhich were declared as containment zone have also been lifted,an official said.

In Assam, 28,178 samples have been tested in sevenlaboratories so far and out of these, 91 are positive, 25,429were found to be negative and the remaining results areawaited. DGMM MM