Agartala, Sep 5 (IANS): In view of the rising Covid-19 cases in Tripura, a central team would soon visit the northeastern state to study the situation and suggest the state government to curb the spread of the virus, a Minister said here on Saturday night.

Tripura Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that a central team comprising three or four experts from the Union Health Ministry would soon visit the state to examine the Covid-19 related situation and suggest the state government to curb the spread of the virus.

Tripura's Additional Chief Secretary in-charge of Health and Family Welfare Department Sanjay Kumar Rakesh has apprised the Union Health Ministry about the prevailing situation arises due to the rising cases of coronavirus, said Nath, who is the spokesman of the state government.

He told the media that in terms of positivity, recovery and mortality rates and test per million, Tripura has in the better position from many states in India.

Till Saturday night, 14,531 positive cases found in Tripura with 8,745 patients recovered from the disease and 144 people succumbed to the dreaded disease since June 9, when the first death was reported.

"Considering the gravity of the situation, the Tripura government has earlier suggested to impose total lockdown in the state on Saturday and Sunday, but the Union Home Ministry did not respond on the issue," the minister added. Of the 14,531 positive cases, 5,217 cases found alone in West Tripura district, where the capital city Agartala falls.

Of the total of 144 deaths, 65 per cent occurred in West Tripura district, one of Tripura's eight districts. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who also holds the Health Department, earlier said that Covid-19 crisis in the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) areas is extremely alarming with the positivity rate of 21 per cent against the alarming ratio of 10 per cent.

Around five lakh people reside in the AMC areas.Of the 49 wards in the AMC, 70 per cent coronavirus positive cases are found in ten wards.

To avoid the gatherings in the government offices, 50 per cent employees of group "C" and "D" employees are being allowed to attend the office per day while the night curfew was imposed from 8 p.m. in the night to 5 a.m. in the morning. Meanwhile, a three-member central team, led by G.K. Medhi, Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine of the Shillong-based North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), after 11-day visit and studying the source and other aspects of the coronavirus infection among people in Tripura, had recently submitted their report to the state government.