Bengal reports first coronavirus case: Student who returned from UK

His parents and driver have been sent to the newly opened Special Quarantine Unit at Rajarhat, where they have been quarantined.

The youth had gone to the UK to pursue higher studies. He had returned to the city recently and showed no symptoms of having contracted the virus upon his arrival and following a thermal screening. However, as standard procedure, he was sent to home quarantine. After learning that his friends in the UK had contracted the disease, the youth got himself admitted to Beliaghata ID and BG Hospital in the morning and sent his samples for tests. He had attended a birthday party with his friends there.

“There is mild infection but he is under control. All his parameters are stable. However, we are taking no chance. He will be kept isolated and his samples will be sent for tests again,” said the government official.

Late in the evening, a bulletin issued by the state health department confirmed the case.

“Till date 12244 travelers from COVID-19 affected countries have been identified and placed under surveillance. For 248 of them the surveillance period has been over. Eighteen are admitted in isolation facility on date. Rest 11978 are under home surveillance. Till date 70 samples have been sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune, ICMR-NICED, Kolkata and IPGMER, Kolkata for test of COVID-19. Results of 69 samples are negative. One sample has come positive. The health condition of all the persons under surveillance is stable,” read the bulletin.