No.731/2019-2020

Health Minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana today confirmed the presence of a COVID-19 positive case at a Press Conference at the Secretariat Conference Hall, MINECO.

The COVID-19 positive patient is a male aged 50 years who reached Mizoram on 16th March 2020 from Amsterdam(Netherlands). He flew via Doha, Qatar then on to New Delhi and Guwahati on his way to Aizawl by air again. While in Amsterdam, taking a precautionary stand, he spoke to a doctor friend of his, who then sent him the quarantine guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India and the other precautionary literature. On his way back from Amsterdam he followed all precautionary measures strictly. He started his travel from Amsterdam on 15th March and reached Delhi the same day and stayed overnight. On 16th March, he boarded Indigo Airlines flight from Delhi to Guwahati, thereafter; he took Go Air flight from Guwahati to Lengpui Airport and reached home the same day. The COVID-19 Testing Guidelines issued by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare which was operational then specified that swab samples of people only exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should be taken. Till then, he had not shown any symptoms of the pandemic.

On 18th March, he started having fever which continued till the 20th March. The same day he immediately got in touch with the authorities of the Health & Family Welfare Department. A doctor visited him and took swab sample which was sent it to the Testing Laboratory of Guwahati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), the nearest Testing Laboratory for Mizoram. The doctor who visited him was satisfied with the quarantining facilities that the patient had at home.

The result of the swab sample test was received late last night by the Government of Mizoram. All mandatory precautions regarding collection and transportation were stringently followed. Another test was conducted which then confirmed the case as a positive case of COVID-19. On receiving the confirmation, his wife and their two children were taken to Zoram Medical College, Falkawn where they now being kept in isolation under observation. None of his family members have exhibited any symptoms till now and the patient’s fever condition has shown improvement.

The doctor, who had visited him at home, is also in self quarantine, as a precautionary measure. Contact tracing as far as possible is immediately being undertaken. The Government has the flight details and the list of passengers. The Government has all his flight details and the list of passengers on the flights he took In India i.e. Indigo Airlines flight 6E 939 from Delhi to Guwahati on March 16 and Go Air flight G8X/G8298 from Guwahati to Lengpui Airport. All the passengers on the Guwahati-Aizawl flight with their family details are being asked to report authorities of the Health & Family Welfare Department or report to COVID-19 Helpline-102(Toll Free) or 0389-2323336/2318336 and to strictly home quarantine themselves and their family members.

Health Minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana speaking on the case mentioned the patient is undertaking higher studies abroad and seems to have taken all necessary precautions as is expected from an educated person. The Minister appealed to the public not to panic and worry. He also appealed to people to stay at home, maintain social distancing and not to circulate rumours and unverified information on social media and sought the media’s cooperation in this regard.