With Covid-19 cases mounting in the state, the detection of over a hundred positive cases at Zaloni tea estate in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district has set alarm bells ringing in the health department. As many as 133 plantation workers of the tea estate has so far been found positive of the novel coronavirus.
On May 3, routine Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) was carried out among 200 workers of the garden which led to the detection of 39 positive cases. The following day another 200 RATs were carried out which led to the detection of futher 42 cases. On May 5 as many as 52 positive cases were detected after conducting 250 RATs.
On Wednesday, Deputy commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha had declared the tea garden as a containment zone and all entry and exit points to the garden was sealed. The tea garden has been closed for 2 days barring essential services for throughout sanitisation of all labour lines, hospital, factory and community centers.
“We have shifted all positive patients to government quarantine centers and have started vaccination of the workers from May 4. Already 50 workers have been vaccinated. Each and every workers and staff of the tea garden will be tested. Contact tracing is also being initiated,” deputy commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha on Thursday said.
Meanwhile the Deputy Commissioner who is also the Chairman of District Disaster Management Authority, Dibrugarh has ordered closure of all leased weekly haat/market under Tengakhat Development block in Dibrugarh district with immediate effect. The Deputy Commissioner also instructed the concerned Circle officers/ Block Development Officers to take steps to close all such markets in their respective areas if the situation demands.
On May 5, 344 positive cases were reported in Dibrugarh district taking the total number of cases to 18,756. As many as 1,12,968 people have been vaccinated against the novel coronaviru so far.
