Imphal, Oct 17, 2020: Covid-19 cases in Manipur climbed to 15,141 after 426 persons, including 416 civilians and 10 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel, tested positive for the virus at different laboratories in the last 24 hours.

Two persons, including a 63-year-old woman from Chandel district, succumbed to the virus during the same time, said a state health department statement issued today. With this, the toll in the state increased to 111, it added.

The man, aged 82, from Imphal East district passed away at Shija hospital in Imphal, while the woman succumbed to the virus at Jivan Hospital in Kakching district.

As 11,443 patients have been discharged from different Covid care centres after recovering from the disease , 198 of them since last night, the total number of active cases in the state stands at 3587, the statement  said, adding that the recovery rate is 75.57 percent.

The newly infected civilians belong to the districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Jiribam, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Kakching, Ukhrul, Chandel, Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Senapati and Bishnupur, continued the statement signed by the department’s additional director and spokesperson Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang.

Of them, 12 persons -nine from Imphal West and 3 from Imphal East- are returnees from other states, while the rest 404 have no significant travel history.

They are being shifted to Covid care facilities for treatment and all necessary measures like contact tracing and containment have been taken up to combat the virus spread.

Meanwhile, the state police department  organised Covid-19 awareness rallies under banner Jan Andolan ( Covid appropriate behavious) at different various districts today.

On the other hand, the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of Tamengling district hospital has been closed temporarily after a doctor and a staff nurse of the hospital tested positive for the virus, sources said and added that other departments will remain opened as usual.