Six of particularly vulnerable tribal group of Andaman islands were COVID-19 positive, have recovered: Health Ministry

By Priyanka Sharma
New Delhi [India], September 8 : Six members of a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have recovered from coronavirus infection.
However, 15 people hailing from the Nicobarese tribe have tested positive for COVID-19 positive and are undergoing treatment.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said during a media briefing that there are six Schedule Tribes in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and five of these tribal groups are known as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG).
He said some of them are in Port Blair while others are in different places including Greater Andaman, Middle Andaman and Nicobar.
He said that of five PVTGs, six people of one group had contracted the disease. "But now all of them have recovered," he said.
He said the administration there had also tested Jarawa tribe (who are very less in number) and live in South Middle and North Andaman island and they had tested negative. Similarly, Onges tribe had also tested negative against COVID-19.
He said there was no report of death or visible symptoms among Sentinelese and Shompen tribes who usually live isolated from the main island.
At present, there are 312 active COVID-19 cases in Andaman and Nicobar islands.