GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Friday banned all cultural programmes, award functions and participation of school children in the ensuing Republic Day celebrations in the state in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Issuing an order, Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua said the Republic Day programme will be limited to National Flag hoisting, speech by the guest of honour and ceremonial parade only.
"Other activities like cultural programmes, award, prize distribution are to be avoided. Pre and post Republic Day programme may be avoided in view of the prevailing Covid situation in the state," he added.
There shall be no involvement of school children in the ceremonial parade or march past, the order issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.
"The gathering for Republic Day programme may be limited to a maximum of 1,000 for state level function in Kamrup (Metro) district, 500 for district level function and 200 for any other level," it added.
The order signed by Barua also stated that only trained police, security personnel and home guards, who are fully vaccinated, shall be allowed to participate in the ceremonial parade and march past.
Assam on Friday registered over 13 per cent fall in fresh COVID-19 cases compared to the previous day, with 6,897 more people testing positive for the infection, the National Health Mission (NHM) said in a bulletin.
The state's positivity rate also decreased from 12.92 per cent on Thursday to 12.13 per cent, as 56,849 samples were tested for COVID-19.
Assam had recorded 7,929 fresh on the previous day.
With 6,84,954 total COVID-19 positive cases in Assam, the overall positivity rate stands at 2.49 per cent against total testing of 2,74,90,730 samples so far.
During the day, 15 people lost their lives to the disease - three in Kamrup Metropolitan district, two each in Barpeta, Dibrugarh and Hailakandi, and one each in Jorhat, Karbi Anglong, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari and Tinsukia districts.
The total number of deaths of COVID-19 infected people has gone up to 7,622, including 1,347 with co-morbidities, the NHM said.
Kamrup Metropolitan district, which primarily comprises Guwahati city, reported 1,561 fresh cases against 1,716 infections on the previous day.
It has recorded a total of 1,47,889 infections so far.
The NHM said that the number of recoveries increased by nearly 52 per cent to 2,979 people on Friday from 1,960 on Thursday.
In Assam, 6,32,311 COVID-19 patients have so far recovered.
Currently, the state has 45,021 active cases.
The Bulletin said that a total of 1,26,086 persons were vaccinated on Friday, down from 1,40,025 shots on Thursday.
Altogether 4,05,87,364 doses of vaccines have been administered.