COVID-19 toll in Meghalaya breaches 600 mark

Shillong: Meghalaya’s COVID-19 death toll on Wednesday breached the 600 marks with 24 more patients succumbing to the viral infection mounting up the total fatality count in the state to 616.
The fatality rate has now gone up to 1.68 per cent, while the positivity rate currently stands at 17.49 per cent with the detection of 532 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the number of active cases up to 6,043 as on Wednesday.
On the other hand, 711 more patients have recovered from the viral infection, mounting the number of recoveries up to 29,578 with a recovery rate of 80.82 per cent of the 36,597 total confirmed COVID-19 cases detected as on date.
Director Health Services (MI), Dr Aman War said the new deaths included 13 in East Khasi Hills district, six in West Jaintia Hills district, two each in East Jaintia Hills district and West Garo Hills district and one in Ri-Bhoi district.
Of the new COVID-19 cases detected on Wednesday, East Khasi Hills accounted for 201 cases, 90 in West Garo Hills district, 64 in South West Garo Hills district, 44 in Ri-Bhoi district, 38 in West Khasi Hills district, 26 in South Garo Hills district, 16 new cases each in West Jaintia Hills district and North Garo Hills district, 15 in South West Khasi Hills district, 14 in East Garo Hills district and eight in
East Jaintia Hills district.
With 2,973 active COVID-19 cases and 494 related deaths, the East Khasi Hills, which includes state capital Shillong, is the worst district, followed by Ri-Bhoi district with 810 active cases and 15 deaths besides West Garo Hills district with 683 active cases and 28 deaths, while the other seven districts have less than 500 active cases each.
Meanwhile, of the swab samples of 5, 83,183 persons tested since the onset of the pandemic to date, 5, 46, 586 were tested negative for the virus.
On the other hand, 29,769 healthcare workers received the first dose of Covishield and 19,565 received the second dose, 87,565 frontline workers got the first shot and 26, 507 got the second jab of the vaccine against COVID-19, while 2, 75,758 persons from among the general public were inoculated with the first dose and 28,288 persons were fully vaccinated with the second dose, Dr War said.