Sikkim reports 1st COVID-19 case

    23-May-2020
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Gangtok, May 23
A person from Sikkim who came back from Delhi recently has become the Himalayan State's first COVID-19 case.
According to sources, the person was kept at the quarantine centre in Ravangla in South Sikkim after he came back from Delhi. He was first tested on Truenat after he showed symptoms for the novel coronavirus.
Despite the setting up of a Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) in Sikkim on May 21, his sample was sent to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri. The test came out positive there as well, said sources.
According to sources, the person was kept at the quarantine centre in Rabangla after he came back from Delhi
So far, Sikkim was the only corona-free State in India.
The patient had high fever, that's when the authorities did the test, said top sources in the Government of Sikkim. He is, however, said to be stable.
Meanwhile, the patient has been admitted to the dedicated COVID hospital -- STNM Hospital -- in Gangtok sometime ago, confirmed State Health Director General Dr Pempa Tshering Bhutia.
Top sources have appealed the residents of the State to remain calm and not panic. Testing for all those who were exposed to him is being done at the moment. All stranded Sikkimese residents who are returning will be screened and testing done, said sources.
According to sources, the 25-year-old patient -- a UPSC exam aspirant -- was in Delhi for coaching. He was staying at a paying guest accommodation in Delhi's Haiderpur area.
He reached Siliguri by bus on May 17. The bus had a total of 12 people, of which three were from South Sikkim.  EastMojo