Permit mandatory before returning to Assam post lockdown: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam government will open a portal for compulsory registration of its residents willing to return to their homes after the ongoing lockdown is lifted.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the government was planning to issue temporary permits to such persons to keep track of their travel history, screening and quarantine.

"As and when the lockdown is lifted, we can't allow all to board trains, buses or flights and come back to their homes. If we do so, our entire efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus will go waste. So those registering the details of their boarding and home address in Assam will be allowed to return in batches and will be issued an Inner Line Permit-like travel or transit permits. This will help us keep track of such persons and carry out screening and quarantine even after the lockdown is lifted," Sarma told reporters in Guwahati.

The minister, however, did not clarify whether the permits would also be issued to those from rest of the country willing to travel to Assam for work.

Assam has reported 26 COVID-19 positive cases so far of which 25 are related to Nizamuddin congregation. The state at present has put over 75,000 people in quarantine, either in their homes or in quarantine centres to contain spread of the virus. The health department fears that the virus could further spread from thousands of migrant workers, students or others from the state, who are now in other COVID-19 affected states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharastra and Delhi and are likely to return after the lockdown is lifted.

Luxury apartment a containment zone:

The state health department declared a luxury apartment in Guwahati as a COVID-19 containment zone after it failed to identify the source of infection of one of its residents, who tested positive on Saturday. This was the state's first COVID-19 positive case not related to the Nizamuddin congregation.

The businessman, who is now admitted at a government hospital in Guwahati had returned from Delhi on March 1 but tested positive after more than a month. This negated the possibility of contraction in Delhi as a patient normally shows the symptoms between 14 and 28 days. "Of the 98 samples we collected from those who came in touch with him, 85 has tested negative. So we are a bit confused about the source of his infection. So we decided to prohibit all the residents to come out of the apartment and allow anyone to enter, except medical emergency. We have declared it as a containment zone," Sarma said.

There are 150 flats in the apartment, situated close to the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Garden.