COVID-19 death toll in Assam rises to 9, tally climbs to 4,904

One more COVID-19 fatality was reported in Assam on Thursday, taking death toll to nine, while total tally of cases rose to 4,904 with 209 people, including 25 from an Army camp, testing positive for viral infection, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

fresh death was reported from Diphu Medical College and Hospital and this is second COVID-19 fatality in Karbi Anglong district. Of nine deaths reported so far, four were in last week and three of m were cancer patients.

Meanwhile, 194 patients have been cured of disease and discharged from various civil, district and model hospitals on Thursday. state's recovery rate has improved to over 58 per cent as total number of discharged patients reached 2,848, higher than number of active cases, Sarma said.

re are 2,044 active cases in state while three persons have migrated out, he said, ding over 11,000 tests were conducted on Thursday in 12 laboratories.

So far, 2,46,590 swab samples have been tested in state for COVID-19, health minister said.

"We are pursuing strategy of active tracing and testing in our bid to contain any furr spre of coronavirus," he said.

Meanwhile, Assam Targeted Surveillance Program (ATSP), aiming to conduct more than 50,000 random tests during a week, continued for second day on Thursday.

"We aim to conduct more than 50,000 random testings in a week's time, targeting vulnerable areas," he said.

Under ATSP, swab samples of people working in locations such as truck parking areas, loing and unloing centres, godowns, weigh bridges, dhabas will be collected and tested. Staff of hotels used as institutional quarantine will also be tested along with frontline officials like police personnel, Sarma said.

ATSP will also cover family members and co-residents of homes of persons who have been released from institutional quarantine, he said, ding future course of action for containment of pandemic in Guwahati will be based on se test results.

entire exercise was expected to be finished by June 27 and shall see involvement of deputy commissioners of each district who will ensure availability of equate facilities, health minister said.

In order to facilitate people to get mselves tested without having to visit hospitals, some facilities have been identified by health department where collection of swab samples would be done free of cost, Sarma ded.