Goa reports three suspected cases of Coronavirus including a UK national

Two young Indian travellers and one UK National suspected to be infected with Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been admitted in the special ward of the Goa Medical College (GMC) and hospital in Bambolim.

The state government has upped measures to counter the disease by creating two more isolations wards. 

According to the reports, the Goa government has set up a ten-bed isolation ward each at three facilities to deal with suspected cases of the Novel Coronavirus. Besides an existing ward at State-run Goa media college and hospital, ten-bed isolation ward has been set up at Community Health Centre in Chicalim, Primary Health Centre in Sankhalim, and TB Hospital in Margao each.

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Speaking to media in Goa, State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said the suspects who have been quarantined have a travel history. Their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Pune, Maharashtra, and the sample report is expected by Friday. 

He further said, “The major private hospitals were asked to identify isolation wards, even if they are not going to keep anyone; it’s better we prepare ourselves so as to avoid the chaotic situation if at all we get a cluster of COVID-19 cases”.

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Goa prepared to tackle Coronavirus

In the present scenario, Goa is well prepared to tackle the virus and added that currently, the isolation for symptomatic patients is only in GMC. Isolation of the asymptomatic patients will be done at the Cottage Hospital in Chicalim, Dr Betodkar added. 

Moreover, Chief secretary Parimal Rai chaired a meeting on Wednesday and issued directions to departments concerned to strictly comply with guidelines issued by the government of India with respect to Covid-19.

The meeting was attended by all stakeholders, including officials of the tourism department, Captain of Ports and both district collectors. A direction was also issued to create a separate isolation facility in major private hospitals, separate from the outpatient department (OPDs) for foreign travellers.

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Suspected cases rise to nine

Earlier, two Indians patients, one male and a female, suspected to be suffering from Coronavirus, were immediately quarantined and subsequently, their blood and throat swab samples were sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology for examination.

With these three new cases, the total number of suspected patients for COVID-19 has become nine in Goa.

Previously, three persons and their two close contacts were quarantined after they showed symptoms of coronavirus infection. However, all five cases tested negative for the virus.

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(Image: PTI)