Image: Northeast Now

Sonitpur deputy commissioner Manvendra Pratap Singh on Monday formally inaugurated a Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) centre at Hem Baruah Hall in Assam’s Tezpur.

This is the third such centre in Tezpur town dedicated for citizens of Tezpur town who are willing to get tested for COVID 19.

Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!

Speaking to media persons the deputy commissioner informed that till Sunday, a total of 30045 people returning from outside the State have been screened in the district at the Zonal Health Screening Center set up at Tezpur University, 2720 of which are from other districts.

A total of 24,136 samples were collected and sent for testing out of which 564 people tested positive for COVID 19.

Of these 212 people are from the defence services while 352 are civilians.

Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!

Altogether 421 patients were released after testing negative and as on date there are 142 active cases admitted to various hospitals and covid care centres in the district.

The administration has till date created 78 Containment Zones in the district and there are 24 CZs active in the district as on July 20.

The deputy commissioner further informed that 1262 RATs have been carried out in various locations of the district in the last three days out of which 48 people tested positive.

Samples of all other negative patients have been collected and sent for RT-PCR testing.

Since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Sonitpur district administration has created quarantine facilities in 60 such centres across the district with a total bed capacity of 3418.

Moreover, the Dekargaon Model Hospital will soon be turned into a Covid Care Centre (CCC) looking at the rising number of COVID19 positive cases in the district.

There are three CCCs in the district – MCH Paruwa, Sirajuli MH and Kusumtola MH – with a bed capacity of 300 and one Dedicated Covid Hospital ie, the Tezpur Medical College and Hospital.

There are now four RAT testing centres in the district – MCH Paruwa, Don Bosco Nikamul, Tezpur University and with Monday’s inauguration, the Hem Baruah Hall.

Moreover, Mobile Medical Units and 104 ambulances have also been pressed into service for RAT, especially in Containment Zone areas.

As on Monday, 1758 people are in home quarantine and 25,910 people have been released from home quarantine.

Singh has appealed to all people showing SARS/ILI symptoms, having travel history (mainly Guwahati), those who have come into contact with any COVID19 positive patient and frontline workers fighting against COVID-19 to come forward and get themselves tested at these Rapid Antigen Testing centres opened for the purpose.