The Financial Express : Aug 29, 2020, 12:28 PM
Dispur: With 2,560 fresh infections, Assam’s COVID-19 tally crossed the one lakh mark on Friday, while eight more deaths were reported, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Himanta Biswa Sarma said.The state’s caseload has reached 1,01,367 and the death toll mounted to 286.Kamrup Metro reported 562 new cases, Jorhat 167, Cachar 165, Dibrugarh 19 and Hailakandi 135.The state conducted 40,102 tests during the last 24 hours and the positivity rate is 6.38 per cent, the minister said. So far, the state has tested 21,46,938 samples for COVID-19.The new deaths were recorded in Dibrugarh and Golaghat (two each) and Sibsagar, Tinsukia, Kamrup Metropolitan and Kamrup rural districts (one each), Sarma said.Till now, 79,307 people have recovered and discharged from hospitals and three migrated. Assam now has 21,771 active COVID-19 cases.The first case in the state was detected on March 31 and the total cases crossed the one lakh mark in 150 days.In Assam police, 3,577 personnel have tested positive for the infection and 15 died, additional director general of police GP Singh said, adding that 3,107 of them have recovered.Junior health minister Pijush Hazarika, who visited Silchar on Friday, said the state government has allocated 50 oxygen concentrators for Silchar medical college and hospital and 10 for Karimganj civil hospital.He also appealed to the people to come forward for getting their swab tested. Lockdown restrictions have been imposed in three districts in the Barak valley- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi — since Thursday and will continue till September 4.The minister directed the district administration to keep prices of essentials under control and take stern measures against unscrupulous traders.