Lockdown for a long period is not economically feasible: Himanta Biswa

July 15: On Wednesday, Assam has registered 1,088 new COVID19 positive cases, taking the state’s overall tally to 19,754. Meanwhile, Kamrup Metro happens to be the worst affected district in Assam with over 10,000 COVID-19 positive cases of which 5040 cases are presently active. Expressing his views as regards the COVID situation in Guwahati, State Health Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that if the citizens do not follow the rules to contain the pandemic, then around 2,000 cases will be found in Guwahati almost everyday.

Guwahati has been under a 21-day ‘re-lock’ from June 29 post an ‘unlock’. Lockdown will continue in Guwahati till 19 July. The health minister ruled out any further possibility of extending lockdown in the city. He said, “Lockdown for a long period is not economically feasible.” Out of the 1088 positive cases detected on Wednesday, 649 of them are from Guwahati alone.

Meanwhile, as per sources, a section of the top bureaucrats of Assam were infected by coronavirus. They include SS Meenakshi Sundaram, Commissioner and Secretary (Industries department), PR Khaund, Secretary (Industries department/Transport), Oinam Saran Singh, Managing Director, AIDC, Isan Bardalai, Additional Secretary (Industries), Rajibuddin Ahmed, PS to Principal Secretary, CM Secretariat.