Kamrup-M Covid cases double in 4 days

GUWAHATI: The Covid-19 situation in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district has reached an alarming stage after total positive cases doubled from 114 to 228 in just four days. With 68 people recovering, the district still has 160 active cases.
Health authorities believe that “the sites of loading and unloading of trucks and their parking could be the epicentre of contamination.”
As a result of the surge in the cases, the number of containment zones in the district has gone up to 80 after 19 more areas were added to the list in the last 24 hours.
Kamrup (M) deputy commissioner Biswajit Pegu told TOI, “We believe the main carriers in Guwahati are the truck drivers’ as they are linked to the sites of loading, unloading and parking. On Tuesday, we tested 64 families of Sarab Bhatti and 14 of them tested positive. People from this area mostly work in loading and unloading areas.”
There are 153 godowns and 34 parking spots in Guwahati and it usually takes about three to four days to load and unload goods.
Pegu said the district official will keep a strict eye on the trucks which come from outside the state. From Tuesday, swab samples from commercial establishments, petrol pumps and other nearby business establishments will be collected, he informed.
“We cannot quarantine the truck drivers as per the guidelines issued by the Union ministry of home affairs. However, as per the Assam government’s directives, the administration will test one fourth of the total employees of any business establishments and the administration will monitor the situation in parking places and godowns in and around the city,” he added.
He informed that the state government will take strict action against those violating quarantine norms by coming out of the containment areas. However, a resident of Paltanbazaar area, which is a containment zone, said, “As no police or home guard is placed at the entry or exit point, people are coming in and going out freely. This is really dangerous.”