Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday said that the state has recorded its first death due to the novel coronavirus after an 85-year-old woman, who tested positive for the disease earlier, succumbed to its effects during treatment in hospital. Hailing from the Morlem village in North Goa, the woman had been undergoing treatment at a COVID-19 facility in the ESI Hospital.
The government of Goa had declared Morlem village coming under Valpoi, as a coronavirus containment zone, and is incidentally the Assembly constituency of Vishwajit Rane. Speaking to reporters, he said, "Today, an 85-year-old woman from Morlem village died. This is the first COVID-19 death in the state. My condolences to the family,".
Vishwajit Rane further added that all necessary protocols are being followed by the government in order to keep Goa safe from the COVID-19 outbreak. He stated, "Team Goa is united and is doing its best. Stringent methods and protocols are in place. The death was unfortunate," while urging the people to maintain calm and support the government in its efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus in the state. As of Sunday, Goa has recorded a total of 818 COVID-19 cases among which 683 are said to be active cases.