Nagaland records first Covid-19 positive case

Dimapur, April 13 (EMN): In what could be the first Covid-19 positive case from Nagaland, a patient from the state was tested positive for the virus in Guwahati on Sunday.

This was informed by the Health and Family Welfare minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma, on social media.

A private hospital in Dimapur, Nagaland referred a patient to GMCH after he was found with symptoms of #COVID19. He has tested positive and is undergoing treatment.#AssamCares

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 12, 2020

The minister tweeted that the patient from Nagaland was referred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital by a private health facility in Dimapur.

Nagaland-based Social media groups went into a frenzy soon after the minister made the news public.

A reliable source also informed that the news has sent the Health department of the state into a tizzy and the Covid-19 task force was reportedly conducting an emergency meeting regarding this new development at the time of filing this report.

The news of the positive case brings forth many questions in the air. How did the patient reach Guwahati during the lockdown? Why did the private hospital not inform the health department of the state?

An early morning update from a reliable source in the government confirmed that the patient was from Marwari Patti area and so the locality was sealed off. The wholesale market in the area was also sealed off in the night itself. It was also informed that the nurses and doctors of Zion hospital who came into contact with the patient have been put under quarantine.

Health and Family Welfare minister Pangnyu Phom also confirmed the news in his tweet in the early hours of Monday morning.

Unfortunately one person from Dimapur has tested positive of COVID-19 & is under treatment at GMCH at Guwahati. Anyone who came into contact with the person will be immediately quarantined,also certain locations will be sealed for general safety.

— S Pangnyu Phom (@pangnyu) April 12, 2020