First COVID-19 death in Goa; 85-year-old woman succumbs

Panaji: An 85-year-old woman, who tested positive for coronavirus earlier, succumbed to the infection on Monday, making it the first case of death due to the viral disease in the state, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.

The woman, belonging to Morlem village in North Goa district, was undergoing treatment at the ESI hospital, a designated facility for COVID-19 patients, he said.

The state government has already declared Morlem village, which falls under Valpoi, the Assembly constituency of Rane, as a COVID-19 containment zone.

“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,” Rane told reporters.

He said the state government was following all the latest protocols to keep Goa safe.

“Team Goa is united and is doing its best. Stringent methods and protocols are in place. The death was unfortunate, he said.

Rane appealed to people to remain calm and said the Goa government was making all efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Till Sunday, Goa reported 818 COVID-19 cases. Of these, 683 are active cases.