After 42 people returned to Assam from Rajasthan by bus, one of them tested positive for Covid-19 and it was also found out that cases are pending against him in his home state, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Thursday.
The total number of positive cases now has gone up to 45 in the state and 10 of them are active.
After obtaining permission from the Ajmer deputy commissioner, 42 people came from there in a bus to Silchar on Wednesday and one of them tested positive for novel coronavirus infection, Sarma said at a press conference.
"It has come to our notice that this person has cases pending against him in Sonitpur district (of Assam). How he managed to reach Ajmer and return in a bus to Silchar is a matter of investigation which police is conducting," he said.
All the passengers were asked to proceed on home quarantine after screening, but later the sample of this person tested positive and consequently, certain areas would be declared as containment zones, the minister said.
Following this development, it has been decided that all people coming from Red Zone states to Assam will be sent for mandatory institutional quarantine and they would be there till the results of their first tests are received, Sarma said.
The state health and home department will coordinate to regulate the entry of people to the state and screening of the passengers will be increased, he said.
He appealed to the people to cooperate with the government saying "Assam has entered a challenging phase and pilgrims, students and patients stranded outside during the lockdown will be given priority to return as per the Union Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines".
The minister urged those who have permanent or temporary jobs to stay back at their workplaces as economic activities have resumed and the state government will continue to provide financial assistance of Rs 2,000 per month to more than 3 lakh people till the situation becomes normal.
He said students from the state studying in South and Western India will also be provided with a one-time payment of Rs 5,000 each.
The state government also has coordination with the army, BSF, CRPF and other para-military forces and they have been asked to ensure that any new entrant from outside the state go through the mandatory 14-day quarantine period.
A new batch of 200 CRPF personnel have been quarantined in their facility at Palashbari, he said.
The minister said the recovery rate in the state so far is 75.56 per cent and the mortality rate is 2.2 per cent.
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