Sikkim reports its first COVID-19 positive case
May 23, 2020
Gangtok (Sikkim) [India], May 23 : Sikkim has reported its first positive case of COVID-19, confirmed DG-cum-Secretary Health Dr PT Bhutia on Saturday.
Dr Bhutia said the patient, who tested positive, is a 25-year-old male from South Sikkim.
"He had travelled from New Delhi on May 17 in a private bus till Siliguri. He had then travelled by SNT bus through Melli Checkpost on May 19. He was kept under one of the designated facility quarantine centres in South District," said Dr Bhutia in a press release.
He informed that there were a total of 12 persons in the bus, which comprised three people from South District, and nine from West District.
Dr Bhutia added: "He developed fever and chills on May 21, and was immediately evacuated to COVID-19 STNM Hospital on the morning of May 22. His sample was immediately tested on TrueNat Machine at STNM Hospital. It was reported positive."
"In order to further confirm, his sample was sent to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Siliguri, for RTPCR test. Today at 3:30 pm, the report confirmed that he has tested positive for COVID-19," he said.
Dr Bhutia further informed that COVID-19 patient was initially symptomatic, but now even though he tested positive, he is stable and asymptomatic. He is currently admitted in the isolation ward.
The DG-cum-Secretary said that all his co-passengers, who travelled to Sikkim, are under facility quarantine. He informed that the bus driver has been contacted and will be tested immediately.
India witnessed the biggest ever spike of 6,654 positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 1,25,101, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.
As many as 137 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 3,720 in the country. Out of the total number of cases, 69,597 are active and 51,784 have been cured/discharged or have migrated.
The nationwide lockdown imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 has been extended till May 31.
