5 more COVID deaths, 2,372 fresh cases in Assam

Five more COVID-19 patients have died and the total number of positive cases has reached 52,817 with 2,372 new cases on Thursday in Assam, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The total deaths due to the infection have increased to 126 in the state, he said.

Among the latest deaths, two were reported from Karimganj and one each from Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Kamrup Metropolitan districts, the minister said.

The death rate in the state due to COVID-19 is currently 0.24 per cent.

The new 2,372 cases include 470 from Kamrup Metropolitan, 197 from Nagaon, 163 from Cachar, 128 from Dibrugarh, 122 from Tinsukia and 104 from Jorhat among others.

The new cases were detected out of 55,671 samples tested during the last 24 hours with a positivity rate of 4.25 per cent, he said.

The minister tweeted, "2372 COVID cases detected out of 55671 tests in last 24 hrs. Positivity rate- 4.25 percent".

The total number of samples tested so far is 11,30,226 in 17 state-run and some outsourced laboratories.

Meanwhile, 1,332 patients have recovered and were discharged from different hospitals in the state.

"More than thousand recoveries in a day again! Great job, team doctors," the minister tweeted.

Of the total 52,817 positive cases in the state, 126 have died while there are 15,464 active patients, 37,224 have been discharged and three migrated out of the state.

Meanwhile, the fifth plasma bank was opened at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital by the Cachar Deputy Commissioner on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Commissioner said plasma therapy will help in reducing the death rate and is the only viable option till the vaccine is developed and tested.

She urged recovered patients to come forward and donate their plasma to help others.

The first plasma bank in the state was opened in the Gauhati Medical College Hospital. This was followed by Tezpur Medical College Hospital, Jorhat Medical College Hospital and Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh.

The total number of patients who have recovered and donated their plasmas are 104 while 367 people have registered to donate their plasmas.