-Ezrela Dalidia Fanai, NET Correspondent, Mizoram
With 662 new cases, Mizoram on June 21 reported its highest-ever single day spike of COVID-19 cases.
With a positivity rate of 35.26 per cent, the cases were reported from a total of 1877 tests.
The reason for this sudden spike in the positivity rate is that on June 20 (Sunday), a mass emergency test was conducted at Thutak Nunpuitu Team (TNT) camp- an orphanage and a de-addiction centre located in Aizawl. The centre also houses a mental ward.
Last week, when some campers have finished their de-addiction course, they were tested before being discharged from the centre. When many of these campers tested positive for COVID-19, the state health minister was immediately informed.
On June 20 a team of doctors and nurses from Trinity hospital, Ebenezer hospital and Aizawl hospital with Covid-19 Medical Operational Team Chairman Dr Thiamsanga and Mizoram State Spokesperson on Covid-19, Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma went to TNT to conduct a mass emergency test on the residents.
989 samples of people between 2-80 years were tested and 528 people tested positive for Covid-19. This is a 53.38% positive rate.
According to Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma, more tests are going on including RT-PCR re-test for all negative samples, and results will be updated.
From the remaining 865 samples tested through RAgT, 129 tested positive for Covid-19.
From 23 samples tested by TrueNAt laboratories of various districts, 5 tested positive for Covid-19.
Mizoram has 17605 Covid-19 cases with 13390 cured and discharged. The state has 4132 active cases of Covid-19 with 83 deaths.