Two more Covid-19 cases detected in Sikkim, total rises to 70

Gangtok, June 17 (PTI): Two more persons have tested positive for Covid-19 in Sikkim, taking the total number of cases in the Himalayan state to 70, a top Health department official said on Wednesday.

Of the total 70 Covid-19 cases, 66 are active and four have recovered from the disease, the official said.

Director General (DG)-cum-Secretary, Health, Dr. Pempa T Bhutia said the two new cases were that of an 18-year-old woman and 52-year-old man.

The woman had returned to the state from New Delhi on June 7 and she was staying at a paid quarantine facility at Pelling, West Sikkim, where she tested positive on June 16, he said.

She has been immediately shifted to Isolation Ward, Ayush Hospital Geyzing, Dr. Bhutia said.

The 52-year-old man from Tathangchen, Gangtok had returned from Kolkata on June 14 and was subsequently admitted to STNM Hospital with flu like symptoms on June 15. His test results came positive on June 16, he said.

The DG-cum-secretary said that a 27-year-old man, who had returned from the national capital, died on Tuesday night at home in the state capital due to Tuberculosis (TB) even though all his test reports for Covid-19 were negative.

He had developed flu like symptoms during his stay at a quarantine facility here.

Besides Covid-19, he was also tested for TB the result of which had come positive subsequent to which he was prescribed medication for TB and was discharged from the facility quarantine to enable him to continue with his medication at home along with a healthy diet. Unfortunately, he developed some complications on Tuesday night and died on way to hospital.