Arunachal Pradesh reports 260 new COVID-19 cases, one fatality

Itanagar, October 8 (PTI): At least 260 more people, including two security personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, pushing the northeastern state''s coronavirus caseload to 11,267, a health official said here on Thursday.

The COVID-19 death toll in the state climbed to 21 as a four-year-old boy succumbed to the disease on Wednesday night at the Dedicated Covid Hospital (DCH) Chimpu, near here, due to septic shock, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

The boy was suffering from cerebral palsy with seizures disorder and had feeding difficulties leading to anaemia and malnutrition, the official said.

Of the 260 fresh cases, 80 were reported from the Capital Complex region, Papumpare (65), East Siang (24), West Siang (21), Tirap (14), Changlang (10) and 7 each from Lower Dibang Valley and Dibang Valley districts respectively, the SSO said.

Six cases were also reported from Kurung Kumey, five each from Upper Subansiri and Namsai, four from Upper Siang, three from West Kameng, two each from Lower Subansiri, Lower Siang and Lepa Rada and one each from Tawang, Lohit and Siang districts, Dr Jampa said.

Two personnel of India Reserve Battalion (IRBn) and seven workers of Border Roads Organisation are among the new patients, the official said.

As many as 434 more people have recovered from the disease, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,396, Jampa said.

The recovery rate among the COVID-19 patients in the state stands at 74.51 per cent, he said.

The state now has 2,850 active coronavirus cases.

The Capital Complex region, comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active cases at 1,286, Dr Jampa said.

A total of 2,65,870 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far, including 2,628 on Wednesday, he added.