West Bengal reports first positive case of coronavirus

KOLKATA: An 18-year-old man, who recently returned from England, tested positive for the novel coronavirus (covid-19) on Tuesday, making it the first confirmed case in West Bengal, a senior official of the state government said.

He started showing symptoms of COVID-19 since morning, following which he was admitted to the isolation ward of the Beliaghata ID hospital here, they said.

The man, who had gone to the UK for higher studies, had returned on Sunday.


"His swabs were collected and sent for examination. The reports revealed he contracted novel coronavirus," the official said.

The man's mother, who is a senior state government official, his father and their driver have been quarantined at a newly-set up facilty in Rajarhat area, he said.

"We are now trying to trace all the people who came in contact with him. We will also disinfect his vehicle," the official added.