Mizoram on Saturday became a COVID-19 free state with its lone patient being discharged from a hospital after he was declared fully recovered.
Now, the Christian dominated state shares similar status with Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh as COVID-19-free states.
Mizoram health minister R Lalthangliana said the state’s lone COVID-19 patient has been finally discharged from Zoram Medical College (ZMC) as four consecutive samples of him have tested negative.
The patient was discharged from the medical college on Saturday afternoon after intense treatment of about 45 days, he said.
The health minister praised God for his marvellous deeds and thanked doctors, nurses and staffs of ZMC for successfully treating the patient.
He said that Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has congratulated Mizoram for becoming COVID-19 free state on Saturday.
The Union minister also congratulated the state for the 10 points drop in infant mortality rate(IMR), Lalthangliana said.
Mizoram’s lone COVID-19 patient, who is a pastor in his early 50s working under Baptist Church of Mizoram, returned to the state from Amsterdam, where he was pursuing higher study in theology, on March 16.
He tested positive for novel coronavirus on March 24 and was admitted at ZMC on the night of that day along with his wife and two children.
The patient’s wife and children were discharged from the medical college on March 28 after they tested negative for the virus.
According to officials of the health department, the patient has been advised for 14 days home quarantine after which he will undergo medical check-up again.
The patient was accorded a befitting welcome by his locality in Aizawl as he was discharged from the medical college on Saturday.
Officials also said that two people from, one each in Mumbai and Kolkata, are currently undergoing treatment for coronavirus.
One each local staff of Mumbai Mizoram house and Kolkata Mizoram house are also currently undergoing treatment for the virus, they said.
Earlier on May 3, a 74-year old man from Vairengte on the Mizoram-Assam border had died of COVID-19 and cancer in Mumbai.