Guwahati - The Guwahati Medical College will not admit patients for the next few days after a postgraduate student of the state-run facility tested positive for COVID-19, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.

Assam recorded a spike in coronavirus cases on Thursday, as eight people tested positive -- four each in Guwahati and Silchar -- taking the number of cases in the state to 53.

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"A PG student at Guwahati Medical College tested COVID positive last night.

Consequently, we are screening everyone who came in contact with him, and the entire premise has been sanitized.

We have closed the hospital for new patients for the next few days," Sarma said.

"Special arrangements will be in place for patients already admitted and collection of new swab samples," he said on Twitter.

There are 18 active cases of novel coronavirus in the state, while 34 people have recovered so far.

"Four persons in Guwahati test #COVID19+ One of them had come from outside Assam, and is in-home quarantine, while3 are from Guwahati...

Four persons, who took the same bus from Rajasthan in which the Cachar dist #COVID19+ person traveled, have tested positive too," Sarma had tweeted on Thursday evening.

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