OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh reported 194 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike, pushing the coronavirus tally to 18,256, a senior health department official said here on Friday.
The COVID-19 death toll rose to 59 with a school teacher succumbing to the infection at the Dedicated COVID Hospital at Chimpu near here, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
Barring 43 patients, all the fresh cases are asymptomatic, the SSO said.
Of the 194 new cases, 173 were detected through rapid antigen test, 12 via TrueNAT and nine with the help of RT-PCR, he said.
The Capital Complex Region recorded the maximum number of new cases at 68, followed by Lower Dibang Valley (54), Papumpare (18), West Kameng (9), Longding (8) and Lohit (6).
Five cases each were also reported from Changlang and East Siang, four each from Lower Subansiri and Tawang, three from Namsai, two each from West Siang and Pakke Kessang and one each from Tirap, Dibang Valley, Kurung Kumey, Anjaw, Lower Siang and Upper Subansiri district respectively.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the stAte now is 1,112.
At least 47 more people recuperated from the disease on Thursday, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 17,085, the official said.
The COVID-19 recovery rate now is 93.58 per cent and the positivity rate is 6.09 per cent.
The Capital Complex Region — comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active cases at 290, followed by Lower Dibang Valley (286), West Kameng (92), Papumpare (88), East Siang (63), Lower Subansiri (46), Tawang (40), Changlang (36), Lohit (33), Namsai (28) and Tirap (22).
Pakke Kessang district has 19 active cases, West Siang (16), Longding (14), Upper Subansiri (10), Lower Siang (9), Anjaw (8), three each in Leparada and East Kameng, two each in Upper Siang and Kra Daadi and one each in Kurung Kumey and Dibang Valley district respectively.
A total of 4,50,543 samples have been tested so far, including 3,524 on Thursday, Dr Jampa said.
According to State Immunization Officer Dr Dimong Padung, a total of 2,34,873 people have been inoculated in the State so far since the vaccination drive began in January this year.
Meanwhile, the Capital Complex administration keeping in view the unprecedented surge of COVID-19 cases in the State capital has imposed night curfew from 9 pm to 5 am from May 1.
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