Sj Desk
A 34-year-old soldier becomes the first case of COVID-19 in the Indian Army after his test results came back as positive. The army personnel, a resident of Chuhot village in Leh, contracted the deadly virus from his father who had a travel history to Iran.
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His father had returned from a pilgrimage in Iran by an Air India flight on February 27 and had been on quarantine since February 29. Army officials said that the soldier was on leave from February 25 to March 1 and had continued to help his family during his father's quarantine period.
The father tested positive for the novel virus on March 6, following which the soldier was put in isolation the very next day. He tested positive on March 16.
His sister, wife and two children are also quarantined in Sonam Nurboo Memorial (SNM) Hospital.
So far, India has 147 confirmed cases of COVID-19-- 122 Indians, and 25 foreigners. Worldwide there are over 179,000 reported cases of the virus.
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To halt the community outbreak of the highly contagious COVID-19, the government has ordered for a complete shut down of schools, colleges, gyms, nightclubs, and weekly markets. Travel restrictions are also in place for travellers from the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom from March 18. People from Afghanistan, Philippines, Malaysia are also prohibited to travel to India.
