After witnessing the surge of COVID-19 cases, Meghalaya on Saturday recorded 77 more patients, who have recovered from the disease, more than the number of newly infected persons.

While 77 patients have recovered from COVID-19, 43 new positive cases were detected on Saturday.

The number of persons who have recovered till date is 1,035 and the number of active cases stands at 1,238 even as the state has recorded 10 deaths so far.

Meghalaya now has a total of 2,283 COVID-19 cases.

Director Health Services (MI), Dr Aman War informed that out of 77 patients who recovered on Saturday, 37 of them including 28 Armed Forces/Paramilitary forces, nine civilians were from West Garo Hills district, 17 Armed Forces/Paramilitary Forces and four civilians from East Khasi Hills district, 16 civilians and two Armed Forces from Ri-Bhoi district, besides one civilian from North Garo Hills district.

Dr War said that out of 43 new COVID-19 positive cases, 26 of them were from East Khasi Hills district, which includes 25 civilians and one from among the Armed Forces/Paramilitary forces, while South Garo Hills and West Garo Hills registered two and 15 fresh cases respectively.

Giving a breakup of active positive cases district wise, the DHS said that East Khasi Hills has 890 cases, West Garo Hills 136, East Garo Hills 71, West Khasi Hills 44, Ri-Bhoi 52, East Jaiñtia Hills 15, North Garo Hills 12, South Garo Hills 13, South Garo Hills 13, East Jaiñtia Hills 15, South West Garo Hills 3 and West Jaiñtia 2.

At present, the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) has 17 asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, four symptomatic category B and three with category C.

The DHS informed that as many as 12,507 persons have been tested by using the antigen, out of which 370 tested positive.

Only in East Khasi Hills district, a total of 76 places and houses have been declared as containment area, out of which, 36 areas or houses are still under containment at present.

So far, 86,214 samples have been sent for testing, out of which, 83,499 test results came out negative, and 432 test results are awaited.

So far 32,009 people have returned to the state from outside,” he informed.