Guwahati, July 19 (PTI): Seventy Covid-19 cases have been reported from Assam’s Raj Bhavan here, already declared a containment zone, an official said on Sunday.
Of the 70 cases, 27 were detected Saturday night and the rest tested positive since July 1, the Raj Bhavan official said.
The entire Raj Bhavan campus was declared a containment zone on July 4 after two staff members of the governor’s office tested positive.
Governor Jagadish Mukhi, his wife Prem Mukhi and 176 employees including security personnel deployed at Raj Bhavan and their family members were tested on July 1 after two Personal Security Officers had earlier tested positive.
Among those tested on July 1, two staff members were found positive while the governor and his wife tested negative.
Later, the Commissioner and Secretary to the Governor, Meenakshi Sundaram, who lives outside the Raj Bhavan campus, also tested positive and also his wife and mother.
Kamrup Metropolitan District Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Pegu had declared the entire Raj Bhavan campus and its surrounding areas as containment zone and the area has been sealed since then.
Meanwhile, the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) Superintendent Dr. Abhijeet Sharma has tested positive for Covid-19. Swab samples of other doctors and nurses who came in contact with him are being tested, a senior doctor said.
Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Bhaskar Pegu has also tested positive for Covid-19 and his residence and office have been declared as a containment zone, a senior district administration official said.
Assam’s Minister of State for Labour and Tinsukia MLA Sanjay Kishan, who attended a programme with the deputy commissioner on Saturday, has gone for self quarantine till he receives his test results.
“I have gone for self quarantine with immediate effect after receiving the news about the deputy commissioner, who had accompanied me Saturday in a programme. So I will be unable to be with you till I receive my test results, taking precautions to ensure safety of all”, he tweeted.
Pegu is the second deputy commissioner after Udalguri’s PR Gharphalia to test positive.
Tinsukia’s Joint Director of Health Altaf Ahmed has also tested positive.
Several other senior bureaucrats of the Assam government and their family members have also tested positive.
