144 new COVID-19 cases in Assam; total rises to 1,024

 Assam crossed 1,000-mark in COVID-19 cases on Friday with 144 new patients, including six air travellers, and tally stood at 1,024 in state w, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Eighty-nine COVID-19 cases were reported in night, 25 in evening and 30 during day.

A dedicated treatment unit for COVID-19 patients at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) became functional from Friday, health minister said.

A repatriation flight from Kuwait, carrying 155 passengers under Vande Bharat Mission scheme, arrived at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in evening, a spokesperson of Airports Authority of India (AAI) said.

Among 89 cases reported in night, 30 were from Kamrup, 17 from Tinsukia, 14 each from Guwahati and Dhubri, 10 from Cachar and four from Dhemaji.

Twenty-five new COVID-19 cases were detected in evening -- six air travellers, 11 from Kamrup (Metro) and eight from Hojai, Sarma said.

Among 30 new cases reported during day, 16 were from Golaghat, six from Karimganj and two each from Lakhimpur, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karbi Anglong, he said.

Twenty-four patients were discharged on Friday, including 12 from Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH), six from GMCH, three from Silchar Medical College Hospital and one from Jorhat Medical College Hospital, taking number of recovered and discharged patients in state to 125.

Of total 1,024 cases, 892 are active, while four patients have died, three have migrated and 125 have recovered, minister said.

Sarma also inaugurated an exclusive COVID-19 treatment unit at GMCH and said Rs 150-crore centrally-funded unit is perhaps first of its kind in eastern India.

It is housed in a new building and has 236 beds -- 50 in ICU and 186 in wards -- with each bed having a dedicated supply of medical gas.

unit is centrally air-conditioned and equipped with 14 Ultraviolet Germicidal Irriation (UGVI) systems, imported from Cana, which will help improve indoor air quality and bacteria manment.

Sarma said latest COVID-19 patients are mostly those who have returned from or states.

This week alone saw 637 cases. Monday saw highest single-day spike of 156 cases followed by 139 on Tuesday, 101 on Wednesday, 97 on Thursday and 144 on Friday.

state government has partially modified existing protocols for COVID-19 test, by which swab samples of all patients should be taken on fifth day after initial positive result.

If test result of sample taken on fifth day is negative, a repeat swab sample would be taken on sixth day.

If results of both samples taken on fifth and sixth days are negative, patient will be released from hospital, subject to verification of asymptomatic status and approval of discharge by State Discharge Board, according to an order by state Health and Family Welfare department's Principal Secretary Samir Sinha.

Hospitals and testing laboratories will give priority to testing COVID-19 patients.

In Assam, 92,390 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far, with 10,24 testing positive, 84,933 negative and remaining results are awaited, according to a Health and Family Welfare department bulletin.

state has decided that everyone coming from outside will be sent for institutional quarantine. home quarantine will be allowed for first seven days, till test results are received.

It has me partial modifications to exemptions from institutional quarantine, which include any woman who has travelled alone to Assam by train or plane need t undergo institutional quarantine provided she is asymptomatic, but has to undergo 14-day home quarantine after compliance with health protocols such as collection of swab samples for COVID-19 test.

Any senior citizen who has travelled to Assam by air need t undergo institutional quarantine, provided person is asymptomatic. However, person shall undergo home quarantine for 14 days. Exemption from institutional quarantine in case of senior citizens, however, is t applicable to travel by a bus or train.

For Army, Air Force and Central Armed Police Forces personnel travelling to Assam, each ncy shall minate a senior official as its dal officer to liaise with district magistrates and or representatives of state government, as required.

dal officer shall communicate movement of returning personnel in vance to DMs where disembarking airport or train station is located and districts where cantonment or group centres are located.

dal officer will confirm that equate institutional quarantine facilities have been created for personnel within cantonment. re will be a general protocol for Army, Air Force and CAPF personnel on official duty or deployment.

Screening of all personnel will be done at disembarking railway station or airport by district authorities in coordination with Army, Air Force or CAPF authorities.

personnel will directly proceed to ir cantonment, where equate institutional quarantine facilities will be created by authorities. Any asymptomatic personnel will have to undergo a combined institutional quarantine inside cantonment or camp.

Defence personnel returning to ir home in Assam on leave will have to follow quarantine and testing protocols stipulated for public, according to order.