Coronavirus: Day after Lakshadweep reports first infection, cases shoot up to 14
The administration suspended all inter-island movement, including that of ships, from Tuesday.
Lakshadweep Islands on Monday reported its first coronavirus case, nearly a year after the outbreak of the disease in India, reported PTI. The infection was reported in the town of Kavaratti.
The Union Ministry of Health and Welfare, in its data released on Tuesday morning, showed 14 total cases in the island.
The man who tested positive on Monday is a chef attached to the Indian Reserve Battalion, unidentified officials told The Times of India. He is not a resident of the islands.
He had recently travelled to Kochi, and returned to the islands via ship. “He went on leave and returned to Lakshadweep on January 4,” an official told The Times of India. “After almost two weeks, he developed a fever and headache. He was tested positive afterwards. The infection was confirmed with TrueNat testing.”
Follow today’s live updates of the coronavirus here
The samples of his primary contacts have been taken for lab examination, according to PTI. The administration also suspended all inter-island movement, including that of ships, from Tuesday.
Lakshadweep’s first case came two weeks after the authorities relaxed coronavirus-related restrictions in the islands by doing away with mandatory quarantine guidelines for those arriving from Kochi.
Meanwhile, India reported 10,064 new cases on Tuesday, taking its tally to 1,05,81,837. This is the lowest daily count in seven months. The country’s toll rose by 137 to 1,52,556. The daily death count is the lowest in about eight months. India’s active cases stood at 2,00,528, while the number of recoveries reached 1,02,28,753.