253 new COVID-19 cases in Arunachal Pradesh; tally rises to

Itanagar, September 26 (PTI): Arunachal Pradesh''s COVID-19 tally rose to 8,671 as 253 more people, including 45 security personnel and five health care workers have tested positive for the virus, a senior health department official said on Saturday.

Of the 153 fresh cases, 116 were reported from the Capital Complex region, West Kameng (37), Changlang (22), Papumpare (13), Lower Subansiri (11) and six cases each from East Siang, Upper Subansiri, Kurung Kumey and Namsai districts, the official said.

Five cases each were also reported from Lohit and Upper Siang, four from West Siang and Leparada, three each from Tirap and Tawang, two from Lower Siang and Lower Dibang Valley and one each from Pakke Kessang and East Kameng respectively, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa informed.

"Forty-five security personnel including 28 Army men, 7 Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, 5 Assam Rifles jawans, four personnel of India Reserve Battalion (IRBn) and one SSB staff are among the fresh positive persons," Dr Jampa said.

Five health care workers have also contracted the disease, the official said.

Barring 18, all the new patients are asymptomatic and they have been shifted to COVID-19 Care Centres, he said.

At least 159 people were discharged from various hospitals in the state on Friday as they have recovered from the virus, Dr Jampa said, adding that the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients in the state now stands at 71.84 per cent.

Arunachal Pradesh now has 2,427 active COVID-19 cases, while 6,230 people have recovered from the disease and 14 have died of the infection.

The Capital Complex region has reported the highest number of active cases at 1,289, followed by Papumpare at 162, Dr Jampa said.

The Capital Complex region comprises Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas.

The state has so far tested 2,35,979 samples for the infection including, 2,523 on Friday, Jampa added. PTI UPL RG RG