Mizoram reports 184 new COVID-19 cases

Aizawl, Dec 28 Mizoram reported 184 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 112 more than the previous day, pushing the tally to 1,40,748, according to the state Health department.

The single-day positivity rate dipped to 10.27 per cent from 10.45 the previous day, it said.

Khawzawl district reported the highest number of fresh cases at 44, followed by Aizawl (41) and Mamit (31).

The northeastern state now has 1,435 active COVID-19 cases, while 1,38,774 people have recovered from the infection so far, it said.

The COVID-19 recovery rate now is 98.57 per cent and the death rate is 0.38 per cent.

The COVID-19 death toll remained at 539 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours.

Mizoram had reported 72 new COVID-19 cases on Monday.

The state has so far tested more than 14.99 lakh samples for COVID-19 including 1,792 samples on Monday.

Over 7.29 lakh people have been inoculated till date, of which 5.87 lakh have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, state immunisation officer Dr Lalzawmi said.

Meanwhile, another Health department official said on Tuesday that the samples of two foreign returnees sent for genome sequencing have tested negative for the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

State nodal officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and official spokesperson on COVID-19 Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma said that the two foreign returnees had returned from Australia and Singapore recently.

They were diagnosed with COVID-19 on their arrival at Lengpui Airport in Aizawl and their samples were sent for genome sequencing to the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics in West Bengal's Kalyani on December 22.

He said that the two samples came out as negative for Omicron variant on Monday.

Pachuau urged the people to strictly adhere to COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) especially during the festive season as new variants of COVID-19 like Delta and other variants are still prevalent in the state.