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The Covid-19 fatalities in Assam have increased to 51 in Assam with the death of a 75-year-old man on Friday.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that a 75-year-old man died of Covid-19 at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Friday.

“It is extremely saddening to share that Shri Sunil Roy (75) from Kamrup Metro admitted at GMCH succumbed to COVID19 in the evening today. My condolences to his bereaved family & friends,” the minister tweeted.

According to reports, five other positive patients have also died, but the government’s Death Audit Board has not included them in the list of fatalities caused by coronavirus, saying they had other ailments as well.

Assam recorded a total of 1,218 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, taking the state tally to 21,864.

Of the news cases reported on Friday, 570 are from Guwahati.

On Friday, 551 patients, including an 80-year-old woman, recovered from the disease, Sarma said in another tweet.

A total of 14,105 people have been cured of COVID-19, while there are 7,705 active cases in the state.

Sarma urged people who have recovered from the disease to come forward and donate their plasma to a newly set-up plasma bank in the state.

“We”ve seen a sudden spurt on #COVID19 cases and going through a difficult phase. Convalescent plasma is fast proving to be effective in treating COVID patients and conditions of many have improved with its use. We”re one of the first states in country to set up AssamPlasmaBank,” he tweeted.