Those Who Got Both Vaccine Doses Must Also Take Covid Test To Enter Assam

The Assam government has made Covid testing mandatory for passengers entering the state by train and flight who have received both the doses of vaccines.

A notification issued by the state health and family welfare department mentioned that the step has become necessary following several instances in which persons who have received two doses of vaccines tested positive for the infection.

The state government on June 25 exempted people who have received both doses of Covid vaccines from undergoing mandatory testing on arrival at airports or railway stations.

The notification has now been withdrawn and another notification issued.

At least seven districts in Assam still have positivity rates higher than 10 per cent. Though no cases of the Delta Plus variant have been reported in the state so far, over 70 per cent of Assam's samples sent to NIV in April-May were found to have the Delta variant, known to be a prime variant pushing up case counts during the second wave.

According to experts, fully vaccinated persons too may contract the infection, but their chances of recovery are higher than those who have received the shots. Also, a vaccinated person can be an asymptomatic carrier of the disease.

Assam has recorded a total of over 5.17 lakh cases so far and 4,937 deaths so far. The state currently has over 19,000 active cases.

Assam today reported 1,782 cases and 24 deaths over the past 24 hours. The positivity rate recorded today is 1.40 per cent.