Return of migrants leads to corona spike in N-E

Guwahati/Agartala, May 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Exodus of people from southern and western regions of India to the northeast region has led to a steep rise in Covid-19 positive cases, especially in Assam, where 115 new cases have been reported in the past 24 hours, taking the state's total count to 329 on Saturday evening.

According to Assam health officials, of the 115 fresh coronavirus cases, 63 people tested positive since Saturday afternoon. Most of the positive cases found at the Sarusajai stadium, a sports complex turned into a 1,000- bed quarantine zone by the Assam government last month.

Returnees from different parts of the country were kept in quarantine in the Sarusajai centre in Guwahati.

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in Guwahati that the sudden rise in corona cases is due to large-scale return of Assam natives to the state after the Home Ministry withdrew the inter-state transport restriction on May 4.

"So far, by train and by road, over 37,000 people, mostly from southern and western India, have returned to Assam while over 12 lakh Assamese are residing in different parts of the country," the minister said.

According to the minister, of the total of 329 positive cases, 265 are active corona cases being treated in different medical colleges and hospitals.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb late on Saturday night said in a tweet that 16 people were reported COVID-19 positive. "All of them had recently returned from Maharashtra."

With the 16 new cases, Tripura has so far reported 191 COVID-19 positive cases, including 161 Border Security Force personnel and their kin, with active cases count of 36.

Source: IANS