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Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, May 18 (EMN): As India witnesses an alarming increase in the number of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) infections, registering 96,169 cases so far with death toll touching 3,029, five states in Northeast India, including Nagaland have been declared coronavirus-free.
According to the official data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on May 18, a total seven Indian states and UTs are coronavirus-free though the number of cases continues to increase in other parts of the country.
However, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced on Monday that the lone Covid-19 patient from the state has been repeatedly tested negative for the virus.
“Second retest of the lone active case (positive patient) was done again, and the test has come out negative. The patient can be declared as recovered,” Sangma tweeted.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is yet to update it on its statewise data but it is almost certain that Meghalaya would join the list coronavirus-free states, making it the fifth state in Northeast region to be free of the virus.
The state has registered 13 coronavirus-positive cases and one death so far.
While north-eastern states of Nagaland and Sikkim have not recorded any Covid-19 cases so far, other states in the region -- Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and now Meghalaya – have been declared coronavirus-free.
Arunachal Pradesh was declared coronavirus-free on April 15 after its lone patient recovered, while Mizoram’s lone patient too repeatedly tested negative for the deadly virus.
Among the Union Territories, not a single Covid-19 case has been detected in Lakshadweep, and Daman and Diu, while Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which recorded 33 Covid-19 cases, was declared coronavirus-free on May 7 after all the patients recovered from the disease.
Among the Indian states, Maharashtra tops the list of coronavirus cases with 1198 deaths and 33053 positive cases, followed by Gujarat (11379 cases, 659 deaths), Tamil Nadu (11224 cases, 78 deaths), New Delhi (10054 cases,160 deaths), and Rajasthan (5202 cases, 131deaths).