Coronavirus update: 65-year-old becomes Northeast’s first Covid-19 casualty, had attended Tablighi Jamaat event

Assam has a total of 29 Covid-19 positive cases till date and 28 of them have links to the Nizamuddin markaz (centre).

Updated on: Apr 10, 2020, 11:22:57 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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The Northeast recorded its first death due to coronavirus disease Covid-19 early on Friday when a 65-year-old patient passed away at Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH).

The patient, who had travelled to Saudi Arabia recently, had also attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area last month. (HT Photo)

“With utmost grief and sorrow, I would like to inform that Faijul Haque Barbhuyan, 65, Hailakandi district has expired few minutes back in SMCH due to complication of Covid-19,” Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarmw tweeted at 2:00 am.

Earlier on Thursday, Sarma had mentioned that the condition of Barbhuyan, the 28th Covid-19 positive case in Assam, was alarming due to decrease in oxygen saturation and he has been shifted to intensive care unit at SMCH for better monitoring.

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The patient, who had travelled to Saudi Arabia recently, had also attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area last month and returned to Hailakandi on March 18.

He was admitted to SMCH on Monday after he developed complications and his test results for Covid-19 came positive a day later. Local reports quoting the hospital say the patient died due to pneumonia.

Assam has a total of 29 Covid-19 positive cases till date and 28 of them have links to the Nizamuddin markaz (centre). Manipur (2), Mizoram (1), Tripura (1) and Arunachal Pradesh (1) are other states in the region to have recorded positive cases, while Nagaland and Meghalaya don’t have any case yet.

Also read: India sets up 1,200 Covid-19 containment zones; Maharashtra tops this list

According to reports, five members of the Barbhuyan’s family have been shifted to a quarantine facility and their samples taken for tests. The village he belonged to has been declared a containment zone and sanitised.

Nearly three dozen people who came in contact with him have also been identified and are being monitored.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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