Assam reported its 29th Covid-19 case in Dhubri district as the first batch of around 75,000 persons quarantined in Assam completed their 14-day isolation on Thursday without showing any symptom of the disease.

The Dhubri patient had come in contact with a Covid patient from the district who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month. The condition of a patient in Hailakandi was reported to be critical while at least four Covid patients showed signs of recovery.

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Around 75,000 people, quarantined either at their homes or in state centres, will complete the 14-day quarantine period tonight. They will be free from quarantine after proper medical check-up is done and they are found to be healthy. It’s of much relief that none of them has shown any symptom of the disease yet.”

These persons, mostly youths working in other states, had either reached Assam just before the lockdown, which started from March 24 midnight, or a day later via special trains or were rescued by police from the Assam-Bengal boundary where they were stranded.

On Thursday, Sarma visited the quarantine centres at Srirampur gate in Kokrajhar district, on the state’s boundary with Bengal, where nearly 400 people are lodged. Around 300 others are lodged in the quarantine centres at Bakshirhat border gate in Dhubri district. All of them were rescued by the police.

A team of doctors from Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Barpeta Medical College and Hospital and Kokrajhar civil hospital ran a check-up of all those quarantined at Srirampur on Thursday.

Sarma said those found healthy after 14-day quarantine would be allowed to go home. “The health of those in home quarantine is being monitored by the state’s multi-purpose workers, accredited social health activists and auxiliary nurse-midwifery staff,” he added.

Sarma also said the government was chalking out plans to bring back those stranded outside the state, after which they will need to undergo 14-day quarantine.

On the condition of the positive patients, Sarma said, “Except one case in Hailakandi, all others are doing fine. He has been shifted to ICU in Silchar Medical College and Hospital for better monitoring. At least four to five patients have shown signs of recovery and may be released from the hospital shortly.”

The government is yet to trace the source of infection of the lone Covid patient in the city while the other 28 have links with the Delhi event.

Sarma said, “We suspect 10 to 15 attendees of the Jamaat are still hiding. All of them will face strict legal action. Even the Dhubri patient who hid his travel history in hospitals will be booked but now we are focusing on his recovery.”

Amid the lockdown, long queues were seen in front of banks as many rushed to withdraw the Rs 1,000 credited to them under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Keeping in view the hardships being faced by construction workers because of the lockdown, the state cabinet has decided to provide Rs 1,000 each to 2.78 lakh workers across Assam. It also resolved to provide one-time assistance of Rs 1,000 to households who have no ration cards and are not covered under the NFSA.

At least eight persons were caught by police for impersonating the men in uniform and other government officials to extract money from trucks carrying essentials and from shops in rural areas. “On Wednesday, Jorhat police arrested three men for violating lockdown norms by posing as healthcare officials,” a source said. The police had arrested 1,309 and detained 6,917 vehicles till evening. At least 60 cases of fake news were registered and 36 people arrested.