HT Bureau

GUWAHATI, April 25: The state government on Saturday issued a fresh set of Covid-19 guidelines for both private and commercial vehicles entering Assam through the Srirampur and Chagolia check gates in Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts respectively.

According to the guidelines issued, the drivers, handymen and other travellers in goods carrying vehicles entering the state through the check gates will have to undergo Covid-19 testing at their final stoppage in Assam.

The testing will be conducted by deputy commissioners of the respective districts.

“Passengers, drivers etc. of passenger vehicles (private and commercial) entering Assam through Srirampur or Chagolia check gate will have to undergo Rapid Antigen Testing at the check gate itself, in a manner similar to the tests done in previous year,” the notification read.

For this purpose, the existing infrastructure of the two check gates under the finance (taxation) department will be utilised.

On the other hand, random Covid-19 screening and testing will be carried out at the dhabas along the highways.

Even though the health department had made Covid-19 tests mandatory for people entering the state, the state remained vulnerable as two points along the border with West Bengal, Srirampur and Chagolia-Boxirhat motor vehicles check gates were open for the entry of truck drivers and their associates without any compulsory Covid-19 screening.

Last year in June, the spike in cases in Guwahati was linked to the sites of loading and unloading of trucks and their parking, suggesting that the truck drivers were the potential carriers of the virus from outside of the state. Following this, the government issued instructions to district authorities to conduct mandatory tests along the borders.

Kokrajhar deputy commissioner Bhaskar Phukan said that he had on Tuesday mooted the re-introduction of Covid testing centres along the border with West Bengal in view of the surge in Covid cases.