Assam issues new Covid-19 guidelines, exempts foreign diplomats from test on arrival

GUWAHATI: Assam has come up new COVID-19 guidelines where it has exempted foreign diplomats of mission, people on covert operations of central government agencies and multi-lateral agencies from COVID-19 tests on arrival.

Relaxing the norms for those arriving in Assam, new guidelines stated those arriving with Assam with report of RT-PCR done 72 hours earlier on arrival will not be subjected to COVID test in the state. Children below 10 years will not be tested if their parents are not willing to do so.

Assam health minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “ Foreign diplomats, people from Central agencies like Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax, and other agencies related to National security who want to keep their coming covert and do not want to reveal their identity will not be subjected to COVID test and screening. Even people from multi-lateral agencies like World Bank, UNICEF and UNESCO will not be subjected to COVID test.”


Sarma said people has responded favourably to the government call to celebrate Durga puja with caution. “People across the state has shunned celebration and devoted mostly to prayers during Durga Puja. The positivity rate is below 2 percent.”

He said that in absolute numbers COVD cases which were around 36,000 in September plummeted to 10,421. "We are expecting soon it will be below 10,000. We have recovery rate of 95 percent. Deaths have been an area of concern for us, at times in a day we got 6 to 7 deaths. However these COVID deaths we have found is mostly due to late reporting. Patients take medicines at home and come to hospital only when the condition deteriorates.”