Arunachal reports 64 fresh COVID-19 cases, two more deaths

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 15,389 as 64 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 45, a health department official said on Sunday.

The two deaths were reported at a COVID hospital in Chimpu near here, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

"A 58-year-old man from Ziro in Lower Subansiri district breathed his last on Saturday while undergoing treatment at the hospital. He was suffering from chronic kidney disease and died due to uremic encephalopathy with respiratory distress," he said.

A 55-year-old coronavirus patient from Likabali in Lower Siang died on Friday due to acute respiratory problem.

He was also suffering from hypertension and diabetes mellitus, the SSO said.

Of the new cases, 15 were reported from the Capital Complex region, 13 from Lower Dibang Valley, 12 from Shi-Yomi and eight from East Siang district.

Four fresh cases were also registered in Upper Siang, three in Changlang, two each in Tirap, West Siang and Lepa Rada and one each in West Kameng, Longding and Anjaw, he said.

"Two new infections were detected through TrueNat and RT-PCR methods, and 62 through rapid antigen tests," Jampa said, adding that the positivity rate in the state currently stands at 10.43 per cent.

Barring 15, all new patients are asymptomatic and have been shifted to COVID Care Centres, he said.

Altogether 106 people were discharged from hospitals on Saturday, taking the total number of recoveries to 13,785, Jampa said.

The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state is at 89.57 per cent, he said.

Arunachal Pradesh now has 1,559 active COVID-19 cases.

The Capital Complex region, comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active cases at 896, followed by West Kameng (87), East Siang (67) and Lower Dibang Valley (62), Jampa said.

The state has so far tested 3,31,244 samples for COVID-19, including 1,484 on Saturday, the SSO added.