ASSAM CM Sarbananda Sonowal is for extending lockdown

AHEAD of the third phase of the lockdown ending on May 17, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has urged the Centre to extend it by two more weeks from May 18.  Addressing a press conference at Guwahati,  Sonowal said all states were supposed to give their feedback on the extension of the lockdown by Friday, May 15 and the Assam government has already conveyed its stand to the Centre. The state has also conveyed its views on the relaxations it wants in the fourth phase of the lockdown. “Let the Government of India take a view on that. I don’t want to say much about this now. All the states have written to the Centre, which will make a decision on the extension,” he added. With the detection of 15 new corona positive cases within 24-hours on Wednesday, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration has declared four new containment zones in and around Fancy Bazar, the largest business hub in the North East. The newly declared containment zones are Kumarpara, Fatasil GS Colony, Panbazar Railway Colony and Santipur, Th Assam Tribune reports. The administration has also expanded the coverage area of the containment zone encircling Rajkamal Hotel at Fancy Bazar. The new boundary of the containment zone is MG Road on the northern side, Jail Road, or Jai Narayan Road on the southern side, SRCB Road on the eastern side and Chamber of Commerce Road on the western side. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited the quarantine facility set up at the Sarusajai Sports Complex along with,  Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. They inspected the facilities made available for screening, registration, testing and quarantine of all symptomatic patients of the State and the people who are returning from outside Assam. (picture courtesy: The Economic Times)