Coronavirus Outbreak: Assam Cricket Association offers Barsapara Stadium to government for making quarantine centres

Guwahati: The Assam Cricket Association on Thursday offered to convert its Barsapara Stadium premises into quarantine centres as the state government braced up for the COVID-19 pandemic. [caption id=“attachment_8194821” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Labourers work on preparing a quarantine centre, ahead of a possible coronavirus outbreak, at the Sarusojai sports complex in Gauhati, Assam, India. AP[/caption] Though Assam is yet to report a positive coronavirus case, the state government is not taking any chance, asking its people to strictly follow the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. “In view of the emergent situation arising due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19 pandemic), Assam Cricket Association president Romen Dutta and secretary Devajit Saikia, on behalf of the state body, has decided to offer the Barsapara Stadium and its premises to Government of Assam for establishing temporary hospital and quarantine centre,” Saikia said in a statement. “ACA will provide every possible support to the state government to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak during this critical juncture.” On Tuesday, former Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president and current BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly had offered Eden Gardens’ indoor facility and the players dormitory to the West Bengal government to create a temporary medical facility to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. “If the government asks us, we will certainly hand over the facility. Anything that is need of the hour, we will do it. There is absolutely no problem,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI. The pandemic has so far claimed 13 lives in the country while infecting nearly 650 people. Globally, it has resulted in over 22000 death while infecting lakhs of people. Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak