Shillong: At least 846 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya, taking the tally in the state to 32,295, an official said on Wednesday.
The death toll in the northeastern state rose to 512 as 10 more patients succumbed to the disease, Health Services Director Aman War said.
Of the 10 fatalities, eight were reported from East Khasi Hills and one each from East and West Jaintia Hills districts.
At least 752 people were cured of the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 23,728.
Meghalaya now has 8,055 active cases.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma visited three facilities that will be converted to COVID Care Centres in the city.
Basic Training Centre at Malki will be turned into a medical facility with a capacity of around 100 beds for the treatment of coronavirus-positive patients.
Industrial Training Institute at Rynjah will have 45 beds, when it will be converted to a temporary COVID care facility, while the District Commerce and Industries Centre at Nongrim Hills can accommodate around 60 beds.
All three facilities have capacities to accommodate more beds in the future.
The COVID Care Centres will be equipped with oxygen cylinders and concentrators to cater to the needs of patients, a statement from the CMO said.
The chief minister has instructed officials to take immediate steps to arrange for necessary infrastructure and manpower in these facilities, it added.
Earlier in the day, Sangma held a meeting with deputy commissioners and asked them to intensify their efforts for the inoculation programme.
They were also advised to mobilise people at the grassroots, the statement said.
Noting that vaccination is the main strategy in the fight against COVID-19, the CM also instructed officials to take a target-based approach for immunisation programme in every district.
The state has conducted over 5.98 lakh sample tests for COVID-19 so far, War said.
Altogether, 4.45 lakh people have been inoculated in the state till Tuesday with over 83,000 of them having received both doses of ‘Covishield’ vaccines, he added.
