Not testing samples of girl who died of Covid-19 a mistake: Assam minister

In Delhi, a teacher of a civic body-run school, who was involved in distributing ration during the lockdown, has tested positive for the coronavirus

Doctors at the government-run ESIC Hospital here committed a "mistake" by not testing samples of a 16-year-old girl, who later died of Covid-19, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

The girl breathed her last on Thursday at the B Barooah Cancer Institute. Her samples, which were taken after her death, tested positive for coronavirus infection, new agency PTI reported.

"The girl first went to ESIC Hospital with all symptoms like fever and pain in legs. It was a mistake by doctors that her samples were not sent for testing... It is a matter of concern," Sarma told reporters.

Talking about the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), which was closed for new patients after a doctor at the facility tested positive on Thursday, he said a total of 529 samples have been collected from doctors, nurses, professors and superintendent of the institute for testing.

"Out of those, reports of 357 samples came out negative and one was positive. Results of the rest of the samples are awaited," he said.

Meanwhile in Delhi, a teacher of a civic body-run school, who was involved in distributing ration during the lockdown, has tested positive for novel coronavirus, officials said.
 

The teacher was posted at a primary school in Wazirabad under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The teacher had last come to school on April 28 and started showing Covid-19 symptoms from May 2. His test report came on Friday, an official of North Delhi Municipal Corporation said.

"We traced his six primary contacts and they have been sent into quarantine. Since they are completely asymptomatic, no test has been done yet," he said, adding the school building has been sanitised.
 

On Saturday, 182 Indians landed in Lucknow from Sharjah as part of the government's 'Vande Bharat Mission'.

One passenger, Haji Mohammed Sajid, could not control his emotion as he came out of the Lucknow airport.
 

Kissing the floor of the airport, much to the surprise of the officials and mediapersons present there, a teary eyed Sajid said, "I was missing my parents and India very much."

"I thank the government for helping me reunite with my family after being stranded abroad for the past couple of months," said the Ayodhya resident, who worked as garment designer in the United Arab Emirates.
 

CISF jawans maintained a strict watch on the activities of the visitors as passengers started coming out of the airport at 10.30 pm. They were screened and sent to quarantine.