Amidst the rapid surge in Covid19 positive cases across Assam, 90 workers and staff members of the Zaloni tea garden in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district have tested positive for Covid19.
The Dibrugarh district administration has declared Zaloni tea estate as Containment Zone and shut down the garden.
The Zaloni tea estate falls under Tengakhat revenue circle.
The circle officer of Tengakhat revenue circle, medical inspector of plantations and officials from the health department have rushed to the garden to take stock of the situation.
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The garden hospital and the two vacant staff quarters have been turned into temporary isolation centres for the positive patients.
Dr. Nabajyoti Gogoi, the district surveillance officer of IDSP, Dibrugarh said vaccination drive would be carried out in the garden from today (May 5) apart from other measures like sanitization, etc.
Tea garden-based organizations have been demanding vaccination in the tea garden areas since fearing that Covid19 would spread in a fast pace in the tea gardens as the workers in the gardens reside in close proximity.
“We have urging the government for carrying out vaccination drive at the tea estate but it has failed to do so in tea belt area. The second wave of Covid19 is more dangerous than the earlier one,” said a leader of Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA).