Kohima, Jul 29 (PTI) Fifty-three people, including legislator Mhathung Yanthan, tested positive for COVID-19 in Nagaland on Wednesday, taking the state's tally to 1,513, officials said.

Of the new cases, 29 were detected in worst-hit Dimapur district and 19 in Kohima, Health Minister S Pangnyu Phom said.

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Five cases were reported from Mon, he added.

Yanthan, who is the advisor for Horticulture, tweeted that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

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He is the first legislator to have tested COVID- positive in the state.

Although my COVID-19 test came out positive, I show no symptoms and am doing absolutely fine, he tweeted.

Yanthan said he is at present in home isolation.

I am hopeful that I'll emerge healthier and stronger, he said.

MLA R Khing, the advisor for Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, said that he underwent a test for COVID-19 as per the protocol for the upcoming Assembly session and the report was negative, but two of his support staff was found to be infected.

As a precautionary measure, I am on self-quarantine, adhering to the existing SOP and will continue to work from home, he said.

The two staff are undergoing treatment at a COVID Care Centre.

COVID-19 test was made mandatory for legislators, assembly secretariat staff and all those attending the one-day session on Thursday.

Among the new cases were also six staff of the Assembly, officials said.

There are 913 active cases in the state at present, while 595 patients have recovered and five have died.

As per the state government, four persons have died due to COVID-19, and one death was due to other ailments.

Eighteen patients recovered during the day. However, the recovery rate further dropped to 39.32 per cent as active cases rose.

Most of the cases have been reported from Dimapur where 576 people have so far tested positive, followed by Kohima (427), Peren (252) and Mon (148).

Kiphire is the only district to have not reported a single case.

(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)