By PTI
GUWAHATI: Assam on Wednesday reported the highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases for the third day in a row, with 8,339 people testing positive for the disease, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said.
The tally in the northeastern state climbed to 6,70,128 with the detection of the fresh cases, according to official data.
Kamrup Metropolitan, of which Guwahati city is a part, logged 1,929 new cases, Mahanta said.
Fifteen more fatalities in the state pushed the toll to 6,248.
The positivity rate stands at 12.89 per cent.
As many as 64,699 sample tests were conducted during the day, Mahanta added.
Even as Assam logged record number of new COVID-19 cases over the last two days, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that no new restrictions related to the pandemic will be imposed as long as the hospitalisation rate of infected patients remains under control.
He said the state government is targeting to complete full vaccination of the entire eligible population before February 15.
The chief minister said though the number of new cases is high, hospitalisation rate is at 12 per cent currently.
“As long as we don’t have pressure on hospital beds, there will be no new restrictions or standard operating procedures,” Sarma said after a meeting of the council of ministers here.
Assam had reported the highest single day spike in new COVID-19 on Tuesday when 8,072 infections were detected, breaking a day-old record.
The overall caseload in the state is at 6,61,789, while the toll has reached 6,233, as per latest official data on Tuesday.
The previous highest number of new cases on a single day was reported on Monday when 6,982 infections were reported.
“The cabinet discussed the COVID situation in the state in details,” Sarma told reporters.
The chief minister said the state government is looking to complete full inoculation of all eligible population with both doses of COVID-19 vaccine by February 15.
He said, “We want to ensure at least more than 90 per cent coverage by February 15.”
Sarma said the Cabinet has approved a period of seven days as leave for state government employees who test positive for the disease in line with the current SOP.
“Earlier, there was no definite leave period given for employees who are COVID positive. Now, they will have to join duty on the eighth day of testing positive unless they are hospitalised.”
