Mizoram Reports Highest Single-Day Spike After Delta Variant Detected

After the highly transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus was detected, Mizoram is now witnessing a spike in number of positive cases. The state on Monday registered 185 new cases. With this, the state now has 4,132 active cases.

The Covid death count in the state climbed to 84. The positivity rate stood at 35.46 percent.

On Sunday, the state had reported 662 new cases, its highest single-day spike since last year. These fresh were detected after testing 1,877 samples.

According to the Mizoram health department, most of the cases from the Sunday spike were registered from an orphanage and de-addiction centre. During the mass screening at the centre, 989 samples were taken of which 528 tested positive for Covid.

Recently, five among the 1,500 inmates, including children, were diagnosed with Covid leading the health officials to conduct mass testing at the centre on Sunday.

"During an interaction with the management of the centre and contact tracing on Sunday, we were of the belief that the virus has infected a large number of inmates, prompting us to conduct the mass screening," said ZR Thiamsanga, the chairperson of the Mizoram medical operational team told news agency PTI.

The privately-run government orphanage and de-addiction centre-Thutak Nupuitu Team (TNT)- is located at Zuangtui's Muanna Veng in the northern fringe of Aizawl.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said he is personally monitoring the situation after the detection of a large number of Covid positive cases in the orphanage-cum-rehabilitation centre.

Mizoram reported four cases of the highly infectious variant, also known as B.1.617.2. The Delta variant has been detected in four COVID-19 patients in Aizawl district.

The Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is becoming the dominant variant globally because of its significantly increased transmissibility, World Health Organisation chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Saturday.