Guwahati and some other parts of Assam may see a reimposition of the lockdown if the COVID-19 situation spirals out of control, said State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
His warning came hours after a four-day lockdown was imposed in Mizoram capital Aizawl from Monday night after a spike in cases.
“Many people have not been wearing masks and maintaining social distancing since the Unlock 3 from August 16. If the situation gets out of control, the government may consider another lockdown,” Dr. Sarma said as the COVID-19 fatality neared the 200 mark in the State.
The COVID-19 positivity rate has been inching toward 6% after dipping to 3.2% on August 12. Positive case in Guwahati and the Kamrup district have also been increasing over the past few days.
The situation in Cachar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts was also cause of concern the Minister said.
Barring a few activities, the State government had lifted the lockdown restrictions from August 16 for reviving the local economy. The night curfew period was reduced by two-and-a-half hours, and inter-State travel was extended from two to five days a week.
Till Monday night, Assam had 79,667 positive cases, of which 22,733 were active while 197 died.
So far, 296 people have died of COVID-19 across the eight north-eastern States. Of them, Tripura, with 62 deaths, follows Assam, and Manipur comes third with 17.
