Nagaland records first Covid-19 positive case; patient admitted in Assam

Nagaland doesn’t have a testing laboratory for Covid-19 yet, but samples collected in the state are sent to Assam for tests. It is not known why the patient was allowed to travel to Assam.

Updated on: Apr 13, 2020, 09:14:15 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Nagaland recorded its first case of Covid-19 with a patient admitted in Assam’s Guwahati testing positive for the coronavirus on Sunday.

Meghalaya now remains the only state in the northeast which is yet to record any Covid-19 positive case. (Sushil Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted late on Sunday night that the patient, who was referred to Guwahati from a private hospital in Dimapur in Nagaland, was found positive.

“A private hospital in Dimapur, Nagaland referred a patient to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after he was found with symptoms of Covid-19. He has tested positive and is undergoing treatment,” Sarma tweeted.

According to health officials in Assam, the patient is a resident of Dimapur and was referred directly from Nagaland. He was first admitted in a private hospital in Dimapur and when he showed symptoms for Covid-19 he was sent to GMCH.

Nagaland’s health minister S Pangnyu Phom also took to Twitter to confirm the first Covid-19 positive case in the state.

“Unfortunately one person from Dimapur has tested positive for Covid-19 and is under treatment at GMCH at Guwahati. Anyone who came in contact with the person will be immediately quarantined, also certain locations will be sealed for general safety,” he tweeted.

Nagaland doesn’t have a testing laboratory for Covid-19 yet, but samples collected in the state are sent to Assam for tests. It is not known why the patient was allowed to travel to Assam.

Till Sunday, 74 samples collected from suspected Covid-19 patients in Nagaland had been tested.

Meghalaya now remains the only state in the northeast which is yet to record any Covid-19 positive case.

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