Arunachal Pradesh coronavirus update: 198 new Covid cases; tally rises

At least 198 more people, including two security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the coronavirus caseload in the state to 13,169, a senior health official said on Saturday.

Of the 198 new cases, 72 were reported from the Capital Complex region, Changlang (25), West Siang (21), East Siang (19), Tirap (10) and Lower Dibang Valley (8).

Six cases each were also recorded in Upper Siang, Lower Subansiri and West Kameng, five from Namsai, four from Pakke Kessang, three each from Papumpare and Lepa Rada, two each from Kamle, East Kameng, Longding and Siang and one each from Upper Subansiri and Dibang Valley respectively, the official said.

Barring 35, all the new patients are asymptomatic and have been shifted to COVID care centres, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

"Two state police personnel and a health care worker from Changlang are among the new patients," the SSO informed. Eleven undertrial prisoners of Central Jail at Jully, near here, were also found to have contracted the disease, he said.

Altogether 182 people have been cured of the disease, taking the total number of recoveries to 10,071, Dr Jampa said, adding that the recovery rate now stands at 76.47 per cent.

Arunachal Pradesh currently has 3,068 active cases, while 30 people have succumbed to the infection so far.

The Capital Complex region -- comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas -- has the highest number of active cases at 1,441, Dr Jampa said.

As many as 2,89,502 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far, including 2,507 on Friday, he added.