GUWAHATI: In last few days, 14 people who had come from other states tested COVID-19 positive in Assam. The return of a large number of people from other states has emerged as a serious challenge for the Assam health department. Speaking to media persons at Tezpur, Assam health minister Dr. Himanta Biswas Sarma said that state government has no alternative but to bring the stranded people to Assam. However, the government is ready to tackle the challenge with massive arrangements.
“We have to bring them back. Because they are also Assamese people. There are risks but our responsibility is to look after them and arrange treatment. We have to take the risk, we don’t have any other alternatives,” said Dr. Sarma.
Dr. Sarma stated that other states have asked the people to return to their respective states. So the Assam Government has to take the responsibility.
“Some boys from Assam are coming to Assam from Jammu by bicycle. How can we stop them by police?” minister Sarma said.
He stated that though the situation may become more dangerous, the government is ready to deal with the challenge.
“We have hospitalised everyone by detecting the disease at the initial stage. We are ready for the challenge,” the minister stated. He also said that that there are strict instructions from the centre to bring back the stranded people to their respective states. He urged everyone to maintain social distance and not to venture out if it is not necessary.
To deal with the forthcoming challenges, the Assam health department has set-up 5 massive screening and quarantine centres at Guwahati, Tezpur, Jorhat, Kokrajhar and Silchar. Health minister Dr. Sarma accompanied by his deputy Pijush Hazarika, Tezpur MP Pallab Lochan Das and Dhekiajuli MLA Ashok Singhal visited the screening and quarantine centre at Tezpur University on Sunday.
Recently, 10 people who had returned from Ajmer in Rajasthan tested COVID-19 positive in the Barak Valley of Assam. Two Mumbai-returnee women were detected with COVID-19 at Jorhat. On the other hand, one person with travel history to Siliguri and another with travel history to Cooch Behar tested COVID-19 positive in Kamrup (Rural) and Kokrajhar respectively. The number of positive cases among the people coming from other states has raised serious concerns in Assam.
