No active COVID-19 case in Goa; all seven patients discharged
Panaji, Apr 19 () All seven COVID-19 patients inGoa have recovered from the infection and have beendischarged, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Sunday.
He said that all the seven persons are natives of Goa,but six of them had returned to the state from abroad.
"The repeat samples of the seven COVID-19 patientshave tested negative for the infection. While six of them hadbeen discharged earlier, the last patient was discharged onSunday," Sawant said.
He said that after their recovery, all of them havebeen shifted to a quarantine facility, where they will be keptunder observation for the next few days.
The last of the seven COVID-19 cases in the state wasdetected on April 3. The state government has set up adedicated hospital to treat coronavirus patients. It has alsoset up a laboratory at Goa Medical College and Hospital (GHMC)for testing.
Sawant said that all the agencies, including thehealth department and police, worked in tandem to bring theresults.
He said his government will write to the Centre toinform it that all the patients have been cured anddischarged, and no fresh cases have been reported in thestate.
"It is up to the Centre to declare Goa as a greenzone," he said.
The chief minister said that though the number ofpositive cases have come down to zero, citizens shouldcontinue to remain at home during the lockdown.
"The restrictions during the lockdown period willcontinue. We will go as per the central government'sguidelines," he said.
Meanwhile, State Health Minister Vishwajit Ranetweeted, "We are proud to announce that all the patients thatwere reported positive in the state of Goa have recovered fromthe COVID-19. The active number of cases in Goa now stands atzero."
In a separate statement, he said, "While we currentlydo not have any active case in the state, it is ourresponsibility to keep in mind the importance of lockdown,maintain social distance increase the scope of testing andadhere to norms and guidelines issued by both central andstate government."
"My deepest gratitude to our warriors, the excellentteam of doctors headed by Dr Edwin at ESI hospital for workingtirelessly to counter the menace of this deadly virus...,"Rane added.
As per the government data, 758 people were tested forthe virus in the coastal state. RPS BNMNP NP