Guwahati, Apr 14 (IANS): With the surge of Covid cases in the state, the Assam government on Tuesday issued modified Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for persons arriving in the state by air, making tests and quarantine compulsory, officials said.

Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Samir Kumar Sinha, who issued the modified SOP, said that all people arriving in Assam through any of its five airports, will have to mandatorily undergo the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) free of cost.

Those found positive will have to undergo home isolation or get admitted in a private hospital or government health institution, depending upon their medical condition.

If the RAT is negative, the passenger will have to undergo an RT-PCR test at the airport with minimum payment of Rs 500.

"Any person violating the instructions would be liable to be prosecuted against as per provisions of section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under section 188 of IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable," the SOP said.

The numbers of Covid-19 cases have shot up by 732 per cent since the declaration of the three-phase Assembly elections.

According to the Assam Health Department, the Covid active cases were only 287 on February 26, when the Election Commission had declared the poll schedule for the 126-member Assam Assembly, but have climbed to 2,387 now.

So far, 2,20,893 people have tested Covid-19 positive, out of which 2,16,041 have recovered while 1,118 have succumbed.