Assam to overcome first phase of coronavirus crisis by April 20: Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

Prabin Kalita | TNN | Updated: Apr 13, 2020, 17:44 IST

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. (ANI photo)

GUWAHATI: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said with the Nizamuddin episode, which resulted into as many as 29 positive cases, including a death, moving towards closure, the first phase of the Covid-19 in the state could be over by April 20.
On Monday the 30th coronavirus case was confirmed and only one of them, who happens to be from Guwahati, does not have licks with Nizamuddin. Assam’s first active case was reported on March 31 after a Tablighi Jamaat attendee tested positive.
“Samples of all the 1,421 people linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin have been taken and 29 of them have tested positive. All these people are either in quarantine or in isolation wards and expect one person in Silchar, who is also a cancer patient, the health condition of the others are normal,” Sarma said.
“We are waiting for results of just 34 Tablighi Jamaat attendees, this shows that we are moving towards the closure of the Nizamuddin event. There will be another round of test, the day 14, for them from April 14,” he said.
“Assam has a unique advantage of the 21-day lockdown…by now it is confirmed that all those working outside the state did not bring the virus home, but we have to stay alert for another five to seven days. In the meantime, the Niamudidn event will come to close by April 20. After April 20, if any positive case appears in the state, we cannot link it to Nizamuddin,” he said.
“Going by the rate of positive cases, we hope that Assam will sail through the first phase challenge by April 20 but one cannot declare complete safety until the availability of a vaccine or medicine,” Sarma said.
He cautioned that the state health department has drawn up a roadmap for sailing through as smoothly in the next two phases.
“After phase I, we have two more challenges. By April 20, Assam would overcome the short-term challenge by and large. The next challenge when the lockdown is lifted is going to be a huge one when the people of the state in unknown number would try to rush in. The third challenge is the winter season when the number of cases will increase and the health department is preparing a vision document to guide us till December,” he said.