Representational image.

With 16 more new cases, the total number of COVID -19 cases in Manipur has increased to 1,609, according to official sources in Imphal on Sunday.

However, the state’s Covid-19 recovered cases (896) surpassed the number of active cases (713) for the ninth day on Sunday.  The recovery rate is 55.68 percent.

An official press release of the state health authority issued n Sunday night said that 16 new cases including 1 is male while 15 are females were confirmed as new COVID 19 cases in the past twenty four hours.

They were confirmed at the viral research and diagnosis laboratories of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (1) and Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (15), said an official.

They belong to the districts of Chandel, Imphal East, Kakching, Kangpokpi and Senapati.

Stating that the new cases will be shifted to respective COVID care facilities, it said all necessary medical precautionary measures like containment and contact tracing are in place.

In the past 24 hours, 53 persons were discharged from COVID Care Centres of Meitram in Imphal West district, Churachandpur, Kakching, Senapati, Ukhrul and Covid care facilities of RIMS and JNIMS after they were found COVID 19 free on RT PCR test.

Altogether 3,00,677 persons were screened at various entry points of the state while 63,534 samples were tested for COVID 19, according to a latest report of the state surveillance officer of integrated disease surveillance programme, Manipur issued on Sunday night.

As per the report which was made available to the media in Imphal through the Directorate of Information Relations every evening around 8 pm, a total of 53,926 have completed their quarantine while 4,829 persons were still at various quarantine centres including that of the paid quarantine centres in the state.