Arunachal reports record spike of 214 new COVID-19 cases, 1 fresh fatality

Arunachal Pradesh reported its

highest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases on Friday as 214 people, including 80 security personnel, tested positive for the infection, a health official said.

One more patient succumbed to the infection, pushing the northeastern state's coronavirus death toll to eight, he said.

The new cases have taken the state's tally to 4,574, the official said.

The Capital Complex region reported the highest number of fresh infections at 46, followed by Tirap district (37), West Siang (36), Changlang (28), Papumpare (19), Lower Dibang Valley (10) and Longding (eight), state Surveillance Officer, Dr L Jampa, said.

Arunachal Pradesh had registered its previous highest single-day spike of 157 COVID-19 cases on August 31.

"Thirty-two Army men, 14 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, six Assam Rifles jawans, one Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) constable and 27 policemen are among the new patients," he said.

Three health workers, two firefighters and one Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel have also contracted the disease, Jampa said.

Barring 13, all the new patients are asymptomatic and they have been shifted to COVID-19 care centres, he said.

A 70-year-old COVID-19 patient succumbed to the infection at a hospital in Chimpu area near Itanagar.

The man was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday and he was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) with Myocardial Infarction (MI), Jampa said.

Ninety-two more people have been cured of the disease and were discharged from hospitals on Thursday, he said, adding that the recovery rate among the COVID-19 patients in the state now stands at 69.23 per cent.

Arunachal Pradesh now has 1,399 active COVID-19 cases, while 3,167 people have recovered from the disease.

A total of 2,340 people have been cured of the disease since August 1, while 2,971 people, including 1,116 security personnel, have tested positive for the infection during this period, the official said.

The Capital Complex region, comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active COVID-19 cases at 229, followed by West Kameng (156), East Siang (137), West Siang (134), Changlang (133) and Tirap (103), he said.

The state has so far tested 1,77,259 samples for COVID-19, including 3,785 on Thursday, Jampa added.