Aizawl: At least 62 people, including a 32-year-old man who had received both the doses of COVID-19 vaccine, tested positive for novel coronavirus in Mizoram, taking the state’s COVID-19 caseload to 5,220, an official said on Friday.
The man, who is working with the Border Security Force (BSF), had received the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine on March 27. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 upon his arrival at Lengpui airport from Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, he said.
Of the 62 fresh cases, Aizawl reported the highest at 44, followed by Lawngtlai district, which reported 9 cases, he said. The rest were reported from Lunglei, Siaha, Serchhip and Mamit districts.
Three policemen, 13 minors, including a boy and girl both aged 1, and three senior citizens aged between 69 and 82 years were among the newly infected people, the official said.
Thirty-two patients have travel history, while the rest 30 were infected withCovid-19 through local transmission, he said. Of the new patients, 23 have symptoms of COVID-19, he added.
Mizoram now has 608 active cases, while 4,600 people have recovered from the infection. The death toll in the state is 12 and the death rate is 0.23 per cent.
The state tested 2,85,702 samples till date, including 3,200 on Thursday. The infection rate for Friday was 2 per cent.
According to the health department, 1,52,170 people, including 37,370 senior citizens, were administered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine till Thursday and 38,950 of them received both the doses.
Meanwhile, the state government has decided to ramp up its COVID-19 facilities amid shortage due to rising COVID-19 cases. Health minister Dr R Lalthangalian said that the existing hospitals and Covid-19 Care Centres (CCCs) are now congested due to the spurt in Covid-19 infected patients.
Also read: Mizoram to ramp up COVID-19 facilities amid shortage
Ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) and state health family welfare board chairman Dr. ZR Thiamsanga said the state has about 36 CCCs and most of them become non-functional now.
All the non-functional CCCs will be reactivated, he said.
Generally, symptomatic patients are treated at Zoram Medical College (ZMC), which is hospital cum medical college, while asymptomatic patients are put under care and observation at CCCs.
Thiamsanga said that the ZMC will be re-declared as dedicated COVID-19 hospital. He said that the medical college has admitted even non-COVID-19 infected patients since a few months ago when the state’s Covid-19 curve showed a downward trend.
There are 97 beds, including six at Intensive Care Unit (ICU), in ZMC for treating symptomatic patients, according to a health official.