Assam shuts primary schools in 8 districts over Covid

The Assam government on Saturday decided to shut down primary schools in eight of the state's 35 districts following a spike in Covid-19 positive cases.

Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that the decision was taken in the districts having more than 100 positive cases in order to prevent further spread of the virus.

The directive will come into effect immediately in Kamrup Metro (Guwahati), Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Cachar, Nagaon, Jorhat, Tinsukia and Sonitpur districts where the number of Covid cases was found to be more than 100 on Saturday.

"The deputy commissioners will be at liberty to take the same decision in rest of the districts if the positive cases cross 100. So the school from class I to V will remain shut in such districts till further order," Sarma said.

The primary schools were re-opened in January in staggered manner and later fully after 10 months due to Covid-19 cases last year.

Assam has been witnessing a spike in Covid-19 positive cases since March 27 when the number of daily positive cases was 51 against average test of 10,262. The number of daily cases increased to 484 between April 10 and 16 against average test of 54, 815.

The state at present has 4,069 positive cases but most of them are in home isolation. Sarma later said Assam on Saturday reported 876 cases out of 43,268 tests conducted in the past 2 -hours. Kamrup Metro (Guwahati) district reported maximum of 368 cases.

The positivity rate stood at 2.02% on Saturday.

No plan for lockdown

Sarma clarified the speculation about possibility of lockdown saying that there was no such plan at the present situation. He also clarified that the state was having stock of oxygen and remdesivir medicine in order to take care of the Covid-19 positive persons. The health department decided to provide remdisivir free of cost to Covid-19 positive persons belonging to BPL category in the state.