Goa CM to probe incident of COVID-19 patient skipping test

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said he would conduct an inquiry into the incident where a woman managed to skip the mandatory COVID-19 test upon her arrival from Mumbai and but later tested positive for the infection.

An elderly woman living in North Goa's Calangute town tested positive for COVID-19 after she complained of breathlessness on Thursday.

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Talking to reporters on Thursday evening, Sawant admitted that the woman had "skipped the COVID-19 test" upon her arrival from Mumbai.

Goa has made it mandatory for everyone entering the state to undergo a COVID-19 test and swab samples are being collected at state borders, railway stations and Dabolim airport.

"It is true that she entered the state without undergoing a test. She was admitted to the dedicated COVID-19 hospital after she tested positive," the chief minister said.

An inquiry will be conducted into the case, he said.

"At least 3,000 persons enter the state every day, so it is difficult to know how she skipped the test," he added.

As on Thursday, Goa has recorded 166 cases of COVID- 19, of which 109 patients are undergoing treatment, while 57 have recovered from the infection.