Tripura: 16 more test positive for COVID-19; total soars to 191

Agartala: Sixteen more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 191 so far.

A total of 996 samples were tested for COVID-19 on Saturday, of which 16 tested positive for COVID-19. All of them had returned from Mumbai by a Shramik special train.

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Taking to Twitter, chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb announced the development. “996 samples have been tested today in Tripura for COVID-19. Among them 16 persons found COVID19 #POSITIVE. All of them have returned from Maharashtra.

They have been admitted to hospital. Requesting all travellers to follow the quarantine instructions & co-operate with Govt,” he tweeted.

Earlier on Saturday evening, speaking at a press conference, education minister Ratan Lal Nath said that so far 2,76,756 persons have been screened in the state, while a total of 20,137 samples have been collected, of which 18,721 have been tested.

“A total of 18,808, including present 7,323 persons, have been placed under home quarantine and 2,585 including 359 in facility quarantine. The state has 42 quarantine centres with 3,729 beds,” Nath said.

He also said that the central medical team has submitted their investigation report to the state government on Friday. On Sunday they would leave from Agartala. The government will study the report, he added.

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A total of 847 samples were tested on Friday and all of them tested negative, while around 800 samples are being tested in lab. The health department collected 1,389 samples on Saturday.

In Tripura, 23,418 persons were placed under surveillance, of which 15,736 were released after completion of 14 days’ observation period. Currently, there are 359 persons in facility quarantine, while 7,327 persons in home quarantine, Nath added.

The health department on Saturday released one person, taking the total number of recovered persons to 153. The recovery rate in the state on Saturday stood at 87.43%, with a test per million at 4,683%.