Goa minister announces state’s 1st coronavirus case, then calls it a hoax

‘It was hoax news. People should not be doing such a hoax. People should not be doing this. Calling the hospital and saying the call is from a notified lab (is wrong),’ the minister said

Goa went into a tizzy after Health Minister Vishwajit Rane initially announced that Goa had registered its first case of coronavirus, but later withdrew his statement claiming that a doctor at the Goa Medical College and Hospital received a ‘hoax’ call. The caller in this case, the minister said, claimed to be from the designated testing lab and reported that one sample had tested positive.

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane initially announced that Goa had registered its first case of coronavirus, but later withdrew his statement (ANI)

Rane withdrew his initial announcement asking reporters to ignore it.

“It was hoax news. People should not be doing such a hoax. People should not be doing this. Calling the hospital and saying the call is from a notified lab (is wrong). The final report is not yet come. We are waiting for the report,” Rane told reporters, adding that efforts were on to locate the person who tried to create panic in Goa.

Just minutes earlier, Rane had announced that the first case of coronavirus had been detected in Goa. The infected man, he said, was a Norwegian national who had been in Goa since February 20 and had symptoms of fever and cough.

Goa is yet to report its first case of coronavirus. Of the 25 samples that had been sent for testing, lab reports had confirmed that 21 had returned negative. Results are awaited in four cases where the people under hospital quarantine awaiting their test reports.

“Four samples have gone for testing in Mumbai and the reports are still awaited,” Rane later said.

Another 49 people are in home quarantine in the state.