Coronavirus outbreak: Assam govt sounds high alert, 127 people quarantined

The Assam government has sounded high alert across the state after a person tested positive for coronavirus in Bhutan, after travelling from Assam.

On Friday, the Bhutan Prime Minister's Office confirmed the report and said that one case of COVID-19 was confirmed at 11 pm on March 5 and the result was validated at 12:30 am on March 6.

According to the report, the patient is 76-year-old, from the US and had entered Bhutan from Paro-International Airport, after embarking Drukair flight from Guwahati in Assam on March 2.

The US tourist had also spent a few days in Assam and took a 7-day Brahmaputra river cruise before leaving for Bhutan.

The Assam government has identified as many as 127 people who have come in contact with the US tourist and they are being quarantined.

Assam Minister of State for Health Pijush Hazarika said: "We have identified all hotels, resort and the particular cruise where he stayed. We have also identified as many as 127 people who had come in contact with him and they are being quarantined."

"The US tourist reached in Jorhat on February 22 and left for Bhutan on March 2. We are very serious over the issue. Till now, no positive case has been identified in our



state. We are seriously monitoring the overall situation. The entire floor of the hotel in Guwahati has been isolated where he stayed," Pijush Hazarika said.

Pijush Hazarika also said that one more foreign tourist is being quarantined in the Sonitpur district of Tezpur and took his blood sample on Friday.

Pijush Hazarika further said that the state government has taken preventive measures at all the land ports bordering with Bhutan and Bangladesh and has even deployed medical teams in the areas and screened all people coming from the neighbouring countries.

According to the reports, as many as 585 people have been screened in six airports of the state.

Pijush Hazarika said that out of 585 people, 265 people have been screened at Guwahati airport -- 222 at Dibrugarh, 21 at Raroia airport in Jorhat, 7 at Silchar, 25 at Lilabari airport in Lakhimpur and 44 at Salanibari airport in Tezpur.

Pijush Hazarika also said that out of people screened, 112 passengers came from outside of India like China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has directed all district administration and health department officials to take all preventive measures.