Sikkim is the only state in the country to have remained COVID-19 free (File)
The states in the northeast region of the country have witnessed a sudden rise in the number of coronavirus cases as migrants stranded in other parts of the country return. Since Thursday, 34 people have tested positive in the region. 17 cases were reported in Assam, 12 in Tripura and five in Manipur, sources said. 17 among them were those who came from outside.
Of 96 coronavirus patients in Assam, 20 are outsiders. Among those who tested positive for COVID-19 is a nine-year-old boy.
Last week, seven special trains carrying 8,700 people, including migrants stranded because of the lockdown, arrived in the northeast states. Five special trains will arrive in the next two days.
Five out of seven northeast states didn't have a single coronavirus case within days of the nationwide lockdown. The number now is 286. The bulk of these cases have come from the Border Security Force units in Tripura, which has reported 159 cases.
Tripura now has 167 coronavirus positive cases, Assam has 91, Meghalaya 13, Manipur seven, and Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have one each.
Sikkim is the only state in the country to have remained COVID-19 free.
Out of the total cases, six are heart and cancer patients who returned from Mumbai after treatment.
Lakhs of migrants have been stranded for weeks without jobs and money because of the coronavirus lockdown. The centre and states have provided special buses and train, but due to lack of money and information, thousands are travelling on foot, cycles, trucks and commercial vehicle.