Itanagar: At least 134 more people, including 10 security personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the tally in the northeastern state to 17,430, a senior health official said here on Saturday.
This is the highest single-day spike recorded in the state so far during the second wave of the pandemic, he said.
The death toll remained at 56 with no fresh fatality reported, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
Of the fresh cases, 123 were detected through rapid antigen test while eight through RT-PCR and three through TrueNAT method.
Barring 38, all the fresh cases were asymptomatic, the official said.
Thirty eight new cases were reported from Lower Dibang Valley district, Capital Complex Region (37), West Kameng (18), Papumpare (11) and six from East Siang district.
Four cases each were also detected in West Siang and Changlang, three each in Lower Subansiri and Lohit, two each in Namsai and Tirap and one in Leparada district, the SSO said.
The state now has 453 active COVID-19 cases.
Five army personnel, two CRPF jawans and three officials of the NDRF are among the fresh cases.
As many as 34 labourer of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and two health care workers have also contracted the disease, Dr Jampa said.
Sixty-one more persons recuperated from the disease on Friday taking the total recoveries in the state to 16,921, the SSO said.
The COVID-19 recovery rate is 97.08 per cent and the positivity rate 2.60 per cent.
The Capital Complex Region — comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active cases at 137, followed by Lower Dibang Valley district (110), West Kameng (55), East Siang (35), Papumpare (24), Namsai (17), Lower Subansiri (16) and Changlang (12).
Tawang district accounted for 11 active cases, Lohit (10), Tirap (8), six each in Leparada and West Siang, two in East Kameng and one each in Upper Siang, Pakke Kessang, Upper Subansiri and Lower Siang district respectively, the official said.
A total of 4,31,231 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far, including 3,029 on Friday, Dr Jampa said.
According to State Immunization Officer Dr Dimong Padung, a total of 1,99,918 people have been inoculated in the state so far since the vaccination drive began in January this year.
The state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday approved procurement of four lakh Covishield vaccines to be administered for free on people in the age group of 18 to 44 years.
The cabinet also approved an allotment of Rs 65 crore for procurement of the vaccine.
The amount is above the budget allocation for the health department. PTI
