India’s COVID-19 death toll climbs to 61,529

Our Correspondent

A record single-day spike of 77,266 COVID-19 cases pushed India’s virus tally to 33,87,500, while the recoveries surged to 25,83,948 on August 28, according to the Federal Health Ministry data.

The death toll climbed to 61,529 with 1,057 people succumbing to the diseases in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The recovery rate was recorded at 76.28 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate has further declined to 1.82 per cent.

There are 7,42,023 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 21.90 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 and went past 30 lakh on August 23.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 3,94,77,848 samples have been tested up to August 27 with 9,01,338 samples being tested on the day.

22 army men test positive in Arunachal Pradesh

Seventy-eight more people, including 22 Army personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, raising the state’s tally to 3,633, a health department official said.

Of the new cases, 15 were reported from West Kameng, 14 each from the Capital Complex region and Upper Siang, eight from Papumpare, five from Tirap, four from Changlang, three each from East Siang and Tawang districts.

Two fresh cases each were also reported from Leparada, East Kameng, Lower Siang and Lohit and one each from West Siang, Pakke Kessang, Shi-Yomi and Anjaw districts, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said.

Barring three, all of them are asymptomatic and have been shifted to COVID Care Centres, he said.

“Twenty-two Army men – 14 in Upper Siang and 8 in West Kameng – are among the new patients,” Jampa said, adding that 53 people were discharged from hospitals on Thursday.

Arunachal Pradesh has 1,007 active cases at present, while 2,621 people have recovered from the disease and five died.

The recovery rate in the state currently stands at 72.14 per cent, Jampa said, adding that 1,839 people have been cured of the disease since the beginning of this month.

A total of 2,162 people, including 785 security personnel, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the state since August 1, the official said.

West Kameng district has the highest number of active cases at 157, followed by the Capital Complex region at 149, East Siang at 135, Changlang at 100 and Upper Subansiri at 88, he said.

The Capital Complex region comprises Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas.

The state has so far tested 1,55,750 samples for the infection, including 2,898 on Thursday, Jampa said.