First Coronavirus Case In Indian Army As Leh Soldier Tests Positive, Family Quarantined

A 34-year-old Indian Army soldier has been tested positive for coronavirus making it a first COVID-19 case in the military. News Nation has learnt that the soldier, a local resident of Chuchot village in the Leh district, was on leave from February 25 to March 1st. He had rejoined his unit on March 2nd. Sources say that the armyman's father was evacuated from Iran on February 29. He was quarantined at the Ladakh Heart Foundation. While the soldier had rejoined his unit, he was helping his family during the quarantine period and was staying at Chuchot village. The father reported positive for COVID-19 on March 6 and he was isolated at SNM Hospital. The soldier was also quarantined on March 7 and detected to be positive on March 16 and was isolated at SNM Hospital. His sister, wife and two children are also quarantined at SNM Heart Foundation.

The number of positive cases in India has witnessed a steady rise. As of now, 139 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported across the country. Three deaths have also been registered. The government is scaling up its efforts to combat the pandemic. Meanwhile, West Bengal on Tuesday reported first coronavirus case after a man who returned from UK tested positive. The 18-year-old has been quarantined in a city hospital. According to the reports, his parents and driver have also been kept in isolation.

Earlier, the Gurugram administration asked private companies including MNC, IT Firms, Industries, BPO and Corporate Offices to allow their employees to work from their home till 31st March. A health official had informed that a 29-year-old woman from Haryana's Gurugram district tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The woman is an employee of a Gurgaon-based company and had recently travelled to Malaysia and Indonesia, the official said.

In Maharashtra, a 64-year old man died from coronavirus. This the third case of death due to the virus. The patient, whose wife is stable, is the first COVID-19 death in Maharashtra. While a 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi who returned from Saudi Arabia had died on Tuesday last, a 68-year-old woman in Delhi who had tested positive had passed away at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital on Friday night. Karnataka has 11 coronavirus patients. Ladakh has reported six cases while Jammu and Kashmir three. Telangana has reported five cases which includes two foreigners. Rajasthan has also reported four cases including that of two foreigners. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab have reported one case each.Odisha reported its first case on Monday. According to the ministry's data, 14 people have been discharged so far, including the three patients from Kerala who were discharged last month.