'Tripura has become coronavirus-free, second patient tests negative': CM Biplab Deb

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday said that the state has become Coronavirus-free after the second COVID-19 patient was found negative after consecutive tests. Biplab Deb took to Twitter to make the announcement and also requested everyone to maintain social distancing and follow government guidelines. 

'Hence our State has become Corona free'

The Chief Minister thanked all frontline warriors for their efforts in making Tripura COVID-19 free. "I thank all the doctors, healthcare staffs, all front line warriors and the public for making Tripura a corona free state. By maintaining social distancing and proper guidelines we shall try our best to maintain this. May Mata Tripurasundari bless us," he said in another tweet.

Tripura now has 111 Coronavirus suspects

Tripura's first COVID-19 patient, a woman from Udaipur town in Gomati district, who returned from Guwahati right before lockdown, had tested positive for the coronavirus infection on April 6. She recovered and was released from isolation on April 16. She was later shifted to a quarantine centre at Gomati district, approximately 50 km from Agartala.

A Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawan had also tested positive for COVID-19 at Damcherra in North Tripura on April 16. He was later admitted at GB Pant Hospital, where he tested negative for the virus on Thursday. State Education Minister and Cabinet Spokesperson, Ratan Lal Nath told a press conference that the patient would undergo another test and he will be released if the report turns out to be negative.

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Tripura now has 111 coronavirus suspects under surveillance and 227 others have been placed under home quarantine. The number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 21,700 on Thursday with an increase of 1,229 new cases in the last 24 hours. Further, 4,325 patients have been cured, discharged or migrated, said the Union Health Ministry. According to the Health Ministry, there are 16,689 COVID-19 active cases inclusive of the total number of cases in the country. 686 patients have died due to the deadly virus.

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(With agency inputs)