Northeast States fare worst in COVID-19 recovery rate

GUWAHATI/AGARTALA: In terms of recovery of COVID patients, the eight northeastern States fare the worst even as the country's recovery rate is rising regularly and touched 95.43 per cent on Monday.

According to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry's COVID-19 data on Monday, the recovery rate in Mizoram is the lowest in the country, at 76.46 per cent, while Sikkim has 79.18 per cent, Nagaland 83.27 per cent, Manipur 84.14 per cent, Meghalaya 87.22 per cent, Assam 90.14 per cent, Tripura 90.24 per cent, and Arunachal Pradesh 90.31 per cent.

However, in the fatality ratio, four northeastern States — Mizoram at 0.44 per cent, Arunachal Pradesh at 0.46 per cent, Assam at 0.86 per cent, and Tripura at 1.05 per cent — are better than the national average of 1.27 per cent. The death ratio in the remaining four — Sikkim (1.53 per cent), Manipur (1.63 per cent), Meghalaya (1.75 per cent) and Nagaland (1.92 per cent) — is worse.

With no let-up in the COVID surge, most of the northeastern States have extended the corona curfew and imposed various other restrictions including the closure of markets, most shops, educational institutions, banning gatherings and only allowing the functioning of offices with reduced employees.

The Assam Health Department is ready with 2,000 teams to intensify the COVID-19 vaccination drive as soon as the Centre supplies vaccine doses to it. Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said that the target for each of these teams is 200 vaccine doses per day. Assam till Monday night recorded 4,63,175 cases and 3,994 deaths. The active COVID cases on Monday night stood at 39,362.

Mass testing continues in different parts of Manipur. Only shopkeepers with COVID free certificates only can open shops in certain districts.

Health officials in Sikkim said that during the past one week, case numbers are dipping. (IANS)

Also Read: Assam faces a shortage of intensivists to work in Intensive Care Units (ICU)

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