State COVID-19 situation not so grim to impose lockdown: Himanta Biswa Sarma
- Apr 13, 2021,
- Updated Apr 13, 2021, 12:48 AM IST
GUWAHATI: The Assam health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today made it clear that COVID-19 situation in the state is not so grim for a lockdown to be imposed.
The minister stated that the COVID-19 positivity rate in the state is 0.5 per cent which is the minimum till the pandemic prevails.
Sarma categorically said that the positivity rate could not be brought down further even by imposing lockdown.
He also said that the need of the hour is to increase the quantum of COVID-19 testing and his government has been focusing on that and not a lockdown.
Sarma expressed happiness that this wave of COVID-19 is not virulent and the situation in the state is much better as compared to previous year.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 positive cases in Assam surged to 2,20,893 on Monday as 583 more people tested positive for the infection.
However, no new fatality due to the disease was recorded over the past 24 hours.
Of the 583 new COVID-19 cases, Kamrup (Metro) district reported 193 cases followed by Kamrup (48), Dibrugarh (43) and Nagaon (29).
The state currently has a total of 2,387 active COVID-19 cases, while 2,16,041 people have recovered from the viral infection, including 98 yesterday.
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The COVID-19 recovery rate in the state is now 97.80 per cent.
The state has so far tested 76,24,173 samples for COVID-19.
On the other hand, a total of 12,62,811 people have so far received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine across the state, while 2,67,180 persons have got the second dose.