Assam health experts have expressed serious apprehension of a ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 with the arrival of lakhs of stranded people to the State.
The State is set to witness several lakhs of people returning home after the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed inter-state travel by buses.
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Meanwhile, the State Government has received over 9.29 lakh phone calls in the recently launched helpline number for students and working persons from lower-income families who are stuck outside the State due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
Also read: Assam: Committee formed to bring back COVID-19 lockdown stranded people
Even state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed fears of a second wave of COVID-19 as many of these people are expected to arrive from red zone areas of several states.
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Sarma during various media interactions has been accepting the fact that it will be a ‘huge challenge’ for the State, once the stranded people start coming back to the State from across the country.
However, he opined that the State Government is trying to get the Centre’s permission to airlift patients who had gone to other states for treatment.
Most of these patients are in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Vellore and Bangalore, according to Sarma.
Meanwhile, the State Government on Thursday constituted a committee to bring back stranded people because of COVID-19 lockdown to State in phased manner.
The committee will formulate SoP for bringing back migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places.