Itanagar, July 18: Arunachal Pradesh continued to register a surge in COVID-19 cases as 475 more people tested positive for the infection, pushing the tally to 42,564, a senior health official said here on Sunday.
The COVID-19 death toll in the frontier state increased to 201, as two more persons succumbed to the infection on Saturday, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. The Capital Complex Region recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 129, followed by Namsai (51), West Kameng (48), Lower Subansiri (33), East Siang (26), Lohit (25), Siang (24), Papumpare (23) and Changlang (19). Seventeen cases each were also reported from Tawang and Upper Subansiri, eleven from West Siang, ten from Lower Dibang Valley, eight from Shi-Yomi, seven from Leparada, five each from Tirap and Longding, four from Kamle, three each from East Kameng and Pakke Kessang, two each from Anjaw, Lower Siang and Upper Siang and one from Kra Daadi district, Jampa said.
Of the fresh cases, 444 were detected through rapid antigen tests, 14 through RT-PCR and 17 by TrueNat methods, the SSO said, adding that 214 people were symptomatic of COVID-19. Arunachal Pradesh now has 4,323 active COVID-19 cases, he said. As many as 412 patients were cured of the disease on Saturday taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 38,040, Jampa said. The COVID-19 recovery rate in the state now is 89.37 per cent while the active percentage stands at 10.16 and the positivity rate at 8.87 per cent, the official said. The Capital Complex Region - comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas - has the highest number of active cases at 1,046, followed by West Kameng (374), Lohit (333), East Siang (328) and Papumpare at 274 cases.
Altogether, 8,54,819 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in the state so far, including 5,354 on Saturday, Jampa said. Meanwhile, State Immunisation Officer (SSO) Dr Dimong Padung said that a total of 7,73,000 people have been administered COVID-19 vaccine doses so far in the state since the inoculation drive began in January this year.
