Coronavirus: Tripura, Assam report 32 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours

The coronavirus worry grew in Assam and Tripura after 32 persons tested COVID-19 positive in the past 24-hours.

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Eight persons in Assam including four in Guwahati tested positive on Thursday taking the total number of cases to 53. One of them is a doctor, who returned from Dubai and is in home quarantine. Four more persons, who returned from Ajmer in Rajasthan, a COVID-19 'Red Zone', tested positive. They travelled together with a person, who was tested positive on Thursday morning. His sample was tested hours after they reached Silchar in South Assam.

A total of 34 persons have recovered while 18 are admitted in hospitals in Assam.

Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday morning said one of them is a PG student in Gauhati Medical College. "So we have started screening everyone who came in contact with him and sanitise the entire GMCH premises. As such we have to close the hospital for new patients for next few days," he said.

Although we are closing the hospital (GMCH) for new patients, special arrangements will be in place for patients already admitted and collection of new swab samples, Sarma said.

In Tripura, 24 more BSF personnel in Dhalai district tested positive on Thursday. This took the total number of positive cases to 88. All active 86 cases are from the BSF camp at Ambassa in Dhalai district.

Tripura had declared the state as "corona free" a week ago after two COVID-19 positive persons recovered and were discharged. But things turned for the worse after 86 BSF persons, posted in 138 batallion at Ambassa, tested COVID-19 positive. All of them are asymptomatic and the health department is trying to identify the source of infection.

The Tripura government asked the BSF to identify the source of infection and inform it about the steps taken to contain the spread of the virus.

The BSF guards the 856-km border Tripura shares with Bangladesh.