The family of late Dr John L Sailo Ryntathiang, the first COVID19 positive patient, who passed away on April 15, on Saturday claimed the late doctor’s family had no contact with the state’s latest infected patient.
The reaction from Dr Sailo’s family comes after Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong claimed that the latest positive patient happened to be from the same source, that is, from the first positive patient.
Dr Sailo tested positive for COVID19 on April 13 and succumbed to the virus on April 15.
“There was no contact between the latest case and any of the members of (L) Dr. Sailo’s family since April 15,” the family said in a statement shared via WhatsApp.
“Therefore, the contacts whom she has been exposed to from April 15 onwards cannot be accounted for,” the statement added.
The woman tested positive on Saturday, taking the number of active COVID19 positive cases in Meghalaya to 2.
Meghalaya has registered a total of 13 COVID19 positive cases so far.
Meghalaya deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong earlier claimed that the latest patient was one of the 181 primary contacts of the state’s first COVID19 patient.
“This newly infected person happens to be from the same source, that is, from the first patient who is now deceased. She happens to be a maid servant, and had undergone home quarantine since April 14,” deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters in his daily briefing.
He said the patient has been shifted to the COVID19 Care Centre at Shillong Civil Hospital and is in “stable condition”.
Tynsong said the latest positive patient earlier tested negative on April 16, after her sample was taken for test since she was among the 181 primary contacts of the ‘first positive patient’.