17 BSF personnel among 43 fresh COVID-19 cases in Mizoram

Forty-three people, including 17 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Mizoram, taking the northeastern state's caseload to 608 on Sunday, a health official said.

The new patients also include a doctor engaged in sample collection, two policemen and 18 truck drivers and their helpers, he said.

Two girls aged five and seven are also among those testing positive for the infection, the official said.

Twenty-five samples tested positive for the coronavirus during RT-PCR tests conducted at state-run Zoram Medical College (ZMC), while the remaining infections were detected during rapid antigen tests, he said.

Aizawl district reported 24 of the new cases, while Kolasib registered 18 and Lawngtlai one, the official said.

The BSF personnel were quarantined after their return from Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, he said.

The truckers and their helpers, who hail from Assam and Rajasthan, were stranded on National Highway 306 due to repairing work on the road, the official said.

The fresh infections have taken the number of active cases in the state to 312, while 296 people have recovered from COVID-19, he said.

The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients in the state stood at 48.68 per cent on Sunday, down from 52.29 per cent on the previous day, the official added. 

READ | Mizoram Government To Treat Infected Security Personnel, Civilian Patients At Separate COVID-19 Hospitals

READ | 29 Security Personnel Among 33 New COVID-19 Patients In Mizoram