Goa reports first COVID-19 death; 85-year-old man succumbs

An 85-year-old man succumbed to the coronavirus infection in Goa on Monday (June 22), making it the first case of death due to the disease in the state, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said.

While Rane earlier said the deceased was a woman, he later clarified in his tweet that the victim was a man. The victim, belonging to Morlem village in Sattari taluka of North Goa district, was undergoing treatment at the ESI Hospital, a designated facility for COVID-19 patients, Rane said.

“Deeply saddened to inform that a 85 year old man, from Morlem in Sattari, who had tested positive has succumbed to #COVID-19. My heartfelt condolence to the family. This is the first COVID-19 death reported in the state,” Rane tweeted.

“We assure the people that our team is doing everything to keep our people safe and are following the strictest measures that are in place. This is an unfortunate incident and I stand with the family in their time of grief,” he said in another tweet.

The state government has already declared Morlem village, which falls under Valpoi, the Assembly constituency of Rane, as a COVID-19 containment zone. The victim, who was bed-ridden for four years, was taken to the Goa Medical College and Hospital near here on Saturday from his home in Morlem after he complained of breathlessness, a health department official said.

He was later shifted to the ESI Hospital, the official added. Till Sunday, Goa reported 818 COVID-19 cases. Of these, 683 are active cases.