166 children among 880 new Covid patients in Mizoram

Aizawl: At least 880 more people, including 166 children, tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 57,522, a health department official said on Sunday.

The death toll rose to 212 as three fresh fatalities due to the infection were reported during the period, he said. At least 166 children, six health professionals and a Border Security Force jawan were among the new patients, the official said.

Aizawl district reported the highest number of fresh cases at 386, followed by Mamait at 138 and Lunglei at 118.

The daily positivity rate was at 8.32 per cent as the new cases were detected from 10,575 sample tests. Eight new patients have travel history, while the remaining 872 were found to have locally contracted the disease, the official said.

With a test positivity ratio (TPR) of 19 per cent, Kerala accounts for over 70 per cent active Covid-19 cases in India. While state Health Minister Veena George has often said the cases have plateaued, the Centre thinks otherwise.

"Three days ago the TPR was 15 per cent, now it is 19 per cent. The cases are only increasing now," a central government said "There is no other way but to lockdown," the official added.

When asked what purpose a lockdown would achieve, the official said that it would break the chain of transmission "like it did in Delhi". The official further said if a lockdown is imposed in Kerala, the situation will improve within a fortnight.

India added 45,083 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of cases to 3,26,95,030, while active cases registered an increase for the fifth consecutive day, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The death toll has climbed to 4,37,830 with 460 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.