COVID-10 | Shillong woman tests positive 3 times, govt ask citizens not to panic

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 5, 2020

 A 42-year-old woman in Shillong has tested positive for coronavirus three successive times even as the state government assured the citizens that it will leave no stone unturned to contain the spread of the contagious disease in the state.

The woman, a family friend of the first COVID-19 patient, is the 11^th patient to be tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.  She was initially tested negative but turned positive again during the second retest.

“The result of the third test (states that the last COVID-19 patient) is still positive,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Tuesday.

Appealing to the citizens not to panic, Tynsong however said there were similar cases in other states of India, where patients have to be tested for 6 times.

“Therefore, the fourth test will be done again after three days as per norms of the World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the state’s Health Department,” he added.

Earlier while addressing media persons, the Deputy CM informed that as of today, a total of 1944 samples were sent for testing, out of which 1822 were negative while results of 110 are awaited.

He said the ten patients, who earlier were tested positive, are now fully recovered and cured after they were tested negative twice.

Meanwhile, Tynsong assured that the state government is leaving no stone unturned to contain the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

“Our battle against this deadly disease is yet to end,” he reminded while urging the citizens not to even think of compromising with the protocols and advisories of the government by strictly adhering to social distancing norms, wearing of masks, following hand hygiene and respiratory etiquettes at all times.