Sikkim loses four more to COVID in 24 hours, toll climbs to 107

GANGTOK: Northeast Indian state Sikkim recorded four more COVID-19 related deaths, taking the death toll in the State to 107 on Saturday.

Health Department State IEC Officer, Sonam Gyaltsen Bhutia, informed the first of the four deaths was of a 65-year-old male from Sombaria, West Sikkim, who passed away at around 11:30AM at the STNM Hospital on Friday.

The patient had reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 in rapid antigen testing at Sombaria PHC on 25 November and was admitted to STNM Hospital the same evening. The patient was also suffering from a liver disease and had hypertension and is registered as COVID death with co-morbidities.

Later the same day, at around 6:30PM on Friday, a 28-year-old male from Luing, Ranka Road in East District, was brought dead to Central Referral Hospital.

The State IEC officer adds that although this was an unnatural death, since the deceased tested positive for Novel Coronavirus in rapid antigen testing posthumously, his death too is being recorded as a COVID-19 related death.

Friday bleakness continued with the passing away of a 59-year-old male from Upper Sichey in East District at STNM Hospital at around 9:15 PM.

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The fourth death was of a 78-year-old male who passed away in the staff quarters of Central Referral Hospital, 5th Mile-Tadong, at around 10:30 AM Saturday morning. The septuagenarian had tested positive for COVID-19 in rapid antigen testing and had the co-morbid condition of hypertension.

Meanwhile, the number of active COVID cases in Sikkim increased to 288 with reports of 59 new cases being detected in the last 24 hours on Saturday.

Sikkim’s tally of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has now reached 4,967, of which 4,486 patients have already been discharged from facility and home isolations. 31 more patients were so released from isolation on Friday. That said, there are currently six patients admitted in the ICU facility of the COVID-dedicated STNM Hospital.

The 59 fresh cases were reported from testing of 279 samples on Friday.
Mr Bhutia details that in RT-PCR testing of 214 samples, 44 returned positive, while two cases were detected in TrueNat testing of 11 samples and 13 persons were found positive in rapid antigen testing of 54 samples.
Of the 59 new cases, a bulk, 52, are from East District, five from West District and two from South Sikkim.

17 cases were reported from Tadong area in Gangtok alone, including two persons from SNT Colony in Daragaon, five from opposite of the Police Outpost, one from above Greendale School, five from 6th Mile, one from E-block of IAS quarters in Lumsey, one from staff quarters of Central Referral Hospital and two from near Saraswati Mandir in 5th Mile.

Also among the new cases reported from in and around Gangtok are six from Sichey, three from Development Area, three from Swastik, three from Shyari, two from Tibet Road, one from Forest colony, one from Decheling, one from Tathangchen, one from Gairi Gaon in Chandmari, and one from Namnang.

Likewise, one person from 9th Mile-Lingdok, one from ITBP Lingdum, one from Sang, one from Mamring, one from Ranipool, two from Ranka Berbing, one from Soying, one from Lingtam, one from Central Pendam and one from Setipool were also found positive for COVID-19.

Mr Bhutia informed that one person from Lal Bazaar in Rabongla and one from Upper Ghurpisey in South District and four from Mangalbaria, one from Dentam, one from Sakyong and one from Lingchom in West Sikkim were also found positive for COVID-19.

He also informed that one person from Malam Menrongong, North District, who got himself tested at STNM Hospital flu clinic, has also tested positive for COVID-19.

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