COVID-19: Assam governor calls for effectively implementing contact tracing

Guwahati, May 6 () Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi hasdirected the health department to effectively implement'contact tracing' to contain the spread of coronavirus in thestate.

Following the detection of two more positive cases onTuesday, concerted efforts must be made to aggressivelyimplement contact tracing to break the chain of transmission,the governor said while reviewing the mitigation measuresadopted and led by the health and family welfare department inclose association with other departments of the state.

"With the relaxation in lockdown restrictions,asymptomatic positive persons may spread the infection toseveral others before he or she can be detected as COVIDpositive", he said.

He pointed out that the situation in Assam during thenext 14 days and beyond will be very crucial due to the easedrestrictions.

"Surveillance by the government will be of paramountimportance. Our response adopted during the lockdown periodwill have to be replicated and actively exercised during thepresent times also to track every potential infection and itslikely outbreak," Mukhi said.

He also said that taking into consideration theCOVID-19 situation across the country where the spike of thevirus has been quite steep in the last couple of days, Assamhas to remain pretty alert to reverse the spurt of positivecases in the state.

He directed officers to sustain their good work in thenext few months to keep the virus at bay.

Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna gave a detailedreport to the governor about the COVID-19 situation in thestate and activities of different departments to mitigate thehardships being faced by the people. DGNN NN