OUR CORRESPONDENT
ITANAGAR: Altogether 168 more persons -- including 13 security personnel -- tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh during the last 24 hours, pushing the caseload in the State to 17,775. Of the fresh cases, 160 were detected through RATs (Rapid Antigen Tests) while eight were through TrueNAT methods. Barring 36, all the fresh cases are asymptomatic, informed State Surveillance Officer (SSO) DrLobsangJampa on Tuesday.
Of the new cases, 46 were reported from Lower Dibang Valley; 44 from the Capital Complex Region; 11 each from Papumpare and PakkeKessang; nine from East Siang; eight from West Kameng; seven each from Tirap and Lower Subansiri; five each from Tawang and Lohit; four from Upper Subansiri; three from Changlang; two each from Lower Siang and Namsai; and one each from Leparada, Longding, Upper Siang and KraDaadi districts.
Among the new patients are an Army official, three personnel of NDRF, an ITBP jawan, and three workers of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have also contracted the disease besides 11 IRBnjawans (who are returnees from West Bengal after conducting election duties).
The number of active patients in the State increased to 724 while the number of casualties stood at 58. At least 25 more people recuperated from the disease on Monday taking the total recoveries in the State to 19,993. The recovery and positivity rates stood at 95.60 % and 4.07 % respectively. The Capital Complex Region -- comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas -- has the highest number of active cases at 195, followed by Lower Dibang Valley district at 184; West Kameng (64); East Siang (51); Papumpare (46); Lower Subansiri (28); Tawang (25); Namsai and Changlang (24 cases each); Lohit (17); Tirap (16); PakkeKessang (15); Upper Subansiri (8); West Siang (7); Leparada (6); Lower Siang (4); East Kameng and Anjaw (three each); Upper Siang (2); and one each in Longding and KraDaadi district.
As many as 4,40,234 samples have been tested so far, including 3,576 on Monday, added DrJampa.
Meanwhile, a total of 2,24,724 people have been inoculated in the State so far since the vaccination drive began in January this year, stated According to State Immunization Officer DrDimongPadung.