122 more test COVID-19 positive in Assam, total cases at 524

With 122 new cases detected on Monday--the biggest spike in a day so far, Assam's tally of COVID-19 positive cases reached 524.

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Health officials were left worried after the state reported 314 COVID-19 positive cases in the past four days and the number was alarmingly going up as thousands returned home from rest of the country.

Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said most of those who tested COVID-19 positive had returned from Maharastra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Bengal and were in quarantine centres.

The COVID-19 positive cases have been reported from all 33 districts.

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The COVID-19 positive cases in Assam were low compared to rest of the country till May 4 but number of cases started increasing after those living in rest of the country started returning home.

The health department's worry increased after many passengers landed in Guwahati after the flights operation resumed on Monday. Sarma said that it was difficult for them to arrange proper quarantine spaces equipped with all facilities prescribed as per the prorocols. "We have only 1,000 hotel rooms in Guwhahati. So if 2,000 people comes by flight, it will be difficult for us to provide them space for quarantine. So i want to appeal to them that they should not rush and allow us to make proper arrangement for quarantine," Sarma told reporters on Sunday.

The state has at least six quarantine centres so far, where people coming by vehicles and trains showed preliminary symptpms and have been put into quarantine. More than 60,000 people have returned from rest of the country so far.