Arunachal's COVID-19 tally rises to 15,325 with 81 fresh cases

Itanagar: At least 81 more people, including five security personnel and six health workers, tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday, pushing the tally in the state to 15,325, an official said.

Of the fresh cases, 15 were reported from the Capital Complex region, 16 from Shi-Yomi, nine from Lepa Rada, seven from Changlang and six from West Kameng district, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

Five new cases each were also registered in East Siang and West Siang, four each in Namsai and Tirap, three in Anjaw, two in Pakke Kessang and one each in Upper Subansiri, Lower Dibang Valley, Lower Siang, Lohit and Longding.

"Two Indian Army personnel, an employee of Indo Tibetan Border Police, an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBn) staffer and a CRPF jawan are among the fresh patients," the official said.

Six health workers -- three from Lepa Rada, two from Anjaw and one from Changlang -- have also contracted the disease, Jampa said.

Three fresh infections were detected through TrueNat methods and 78 through rapid antigen tests, Jampa said, adding that the positivity rate in the state currently stands at 10.75 per cent.

Barring 20, all new patients are asymptomatic and have been shifted to COVID Care Centres, he said.

Altogether 99 people were discharged from hospitals on Friday, taking the total number of recoveries to 13,679.

The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state stands at 89.25 per cent, he said.

Arunachal Pradesh now has 1,603 active coronavirus cases, while 43 patients 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 920, followed by West Kameng (88), East Siang (66) and West Siang (62), Jampa said.

The state has so far tested 3,29,760 samples for COVID-19, including 1,948 on Friday, the SSO added.