GUWAHATI: Covid cases are showing signs of a surge again in capital Guwahati, though Assam’s total cases and positivity rate have dropped markedly despite a third wave threat.
Golaghat was at the top of the 10-day Covid count a week ago on July 11. But by Saturday evening, Kamrup (Metro) district, which covers Guwahati city, had overtaken all districts.
Kamrup (Metro) is on top with 2,162 cases, while Golaghat is at second place with 2,135 cases, followed by Lakhimpur with 1,452 cases.
However, in the daily count on Saturday, Kamrup (Metro) registered 250 cases in 24 hours — highest among all districts in Assam. Though Golaghat and Jorhat districts in upper Assam were major concerns earlier, daily cases in the two districts dropped to 172 and 119 respectively on Saturday.
District health officials have argued that daily cases are showing an upward trend in Kamrup (Metro) because of the 18,000-20,000 tests being conducted per day in the district, which is the highest in the state.
However, health experts blamed the rise in cases to the Delta variant which is said to be more infectious.
“A new trend has been noticed in Guwahati. Several members of the same family are being infected. We can breathe easy only when daily cases in Kamrup (Metro) come down below 100,” said Gauhati Medical College Hospital principal Dr Achyut Baishya.
The health officials said the Covid transmission chain in the city is yet to be broken. Instead, they said lifting of most of the restrictions from Guwahati had resulted in fresh infections.
“Assam’s positivity rate has came down to around 1.2 per cent last week but the total number of cases in the city has increased, albeit marginally. It’s not an encouraging sign,” a senior health official said. Notably, the state’s positivity rate has gone up to 1.86 per cent on Sunday from 1.29 per cent on Saturday.
Meanwhile, health department sources said that a new SOP will be announced for Assam on Monday.
Sources privy to the review meeting chaired by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said most provisions of the existing SOP may continue in the state, with restrictions in movement from evening. Some of the seven districts are likely to get relief from round-the-clock curfew. However, curfew is likely to continue in all districts from 5pm.
“Despite increase in cases in Guwahati, more restrictions in the capital are unlikely. This is because the government does not want to hamper the economic activities when the positivity rate is still believed to be under control,” the official said, adding that total curfew in some districts may continue at least for one more week.
On the vaccination front, no major decision could be taken due to the erratic vaccine supply, he added.
