Assam reports 10 more COVID deaths, 1,879 new cases

Guwahati, August 24 (PTI): The COVID-19 death toll rose to 252 in Assam after 10 people succumbed to the disease while 1,879 new infections took the states tally to 92,619, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

While three deaths were reported from Cachar districts, one each was recorded in Karbi Anglong, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Jorhat, Karimganj, Kokrajhar and Charaideo, the minister said.

Of the 1,879 new cases, 471 are from Kamrup Metropolitan, 143 from Dibrugarh, 138 from Jorhat and 133 from Cachar, he said.

Kamrup Metropolitan Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Pegu tested positive for COID-19 and was admitted to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital.

The fresh cases were detected out of 28,670 tests conducted during the last 24 hours and the positivity rate is 6.55 per cent, the minister said.

The total number of tests conducted in the state so far is 20,00,999.

He said that 2,190 patients have recovered from the disease on Monday.

Of the total 92,619 positive cases, 252 have died, 19,274 are active cases, 73,090 have recovered and three migrated out of the state, Sarma said.

"Gratifying that number of recovered patients in Assam is more than 3.5 times the number of active patients", he tweeted.

Meanwhile, lockdown restrictions would be imposed in three districts - Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj - from August 27 to September four to stem the spread of COVID-19, officials said.

Emergency services, government offices, public construction work, agriculture and allied works will be out of the purview of the order.