Covid-19 test for 35,000 personnel before counting for Assembly polls in Assam

The Covid-19 tests for nearly 35,000 counting officials and agents to be engaged for counting of votes on May 2 for Assam Assembly polls would be conducted on Friday, as per the Election Commission order.

Assam health department on Wednesday issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) with clear instructions that the testing must be done on Friday in pre-notified testing centres while maintaining social distancing norms.

"As Election Commission of India has asked for a negative test report within 48 hours of start of counting, the testing of all the counting officials and agents must be undertaken on 30th April in pre-identified and notified testing centres, which may be a govt school/institution with spacious premises where large scale testing can be conducted maintaining social distancing," said the SoP.

All counting officials and agents will be tested with Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and if found negative, will be given a RAT negative certificate at the testing point itself, which they may show while being screened at the counting hall on the day of counting.

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"If any counting officials or agent is found positive in RAT, he shall be provided medical facilities in the nearest Covid hospital or any other separate identified isolated centres kept ready for this purpose or allowed home isolation strictly on the basis of home isolation criteria," it said.

Only the symptomatic RAT negative persons need to be tested with RTPCR. Such symptomatic persons should not be engaged for counting purposes unless their RTPCR results are made available within May 1. The concerned person shall remain in home quarantine until the result comes.

108 ambulance shall be kept ready in such testing locations to take the Covid positive persons to the nearest Covid hospital or home isolation as per the medical officer's advice, said the SoP.

All relevant Covid protection materials shall be provided to the Counting Officials and Counting agents from the DEO. This includes gloves, masks and PPE kits wherever applicable and hand sanitizers at multiple points for easy access.

Assembly elections in Assam were conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6.

Assam's Covid-19 positive active cases reached 21,848 after 3,045 persons tested positive on Wednesday. A total of 55,480 tests were conducted on Wednesday. The state reported 22 deaths on Wednesday.