Guwahati, Sep 9 (PTI) Assam recorded its highest single-day fatalities of 18 COVID-19 patients on Wednesday taking the death toll to 396, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The state's coronavirus caseload also went up to 1,33,066, after 2,243 new positive cases were detected, he said.

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Of the new deaths, four were reported from Dibrugarh, three each from Tinsukia and Dhubri and two each from Kamrup Metropolitan and Nalbari districts. The remaining four deaths were registered in Charaideo, Bongaigaon, Sivasagar and Sonitpur districts. "Very sad and anguished to inform that 18 more COVID19 positive patients have succumbed to the disease....... My condolences to all the families. We stand by you in this hour of grief," Sarma tweeted. The mortality rate in the state is currently 0.29 per cent. The new 2,243 positive cases include 641 from Kamrup Metropolitan, 170 from Dibrugarh, 140 from Jorhat and 106 from Lakhimpur. The new cases were detected out of the 31,562 tests conducted during the last 24 hours, the minister said.

Altogether 25,99,245 such tests were conducted till date. The recovery rate in the state currently is 77.40 per cent, the minister said adding that 1,01,239 COVID-19 patients have been cured of the disease so far.

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Assam now has 31,428 active cases and three migrated out of the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)