First Covid-19 positive couple of Pune tests negative

PUNE: As the Covid-19 (coronavirus) alarm continues to ring through the city, Maharashtra’s first Covid-19 positive couple is all set to return home as they completed their 14-day isolation period on Monday.

The couple, who were also the first positive case in the city were admitted to Naidu Hospital on March 9. The couple from the city had returned from Dubai along with 40 others who were part of a tourist group.

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) PMC health chief, Dr Ramchandra Hankare said, “On March 9, two positive Covid-19 patients were admitted at Naidu hospital.

“Their samples were sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) on the March 14, which was Monday,” said Dr Hankare.

“Their samples were found to be negative on Monday evening. We will send next second sample on Tuesday and if it also comes out to be negative we will discharge both of them as per the discharge protocol,” he further added.

While speaking over the phone, the husband said, “We have been spending the isolation period by reading books. I had got ten books along with me, of which I have read three. My wife has read one book authored by Sudha Murthy.” Three members of the same family including their daughter and a driver and about 20 people of the group were infected and confirmed positive for Covid-19. The daughter who was admitted on March 10 will complete her isolation on Tuesday. “All three of us were kept in the same room, but we did maintain eight-nine metres distance. We reached Pune on March 1, but did not develop symptoms until March 8.

“We did not have time to even unpack,” he said.

“The first thing we will do once we go home is sanitise our house and unpack,” he further added.

“We have asked our relatives and friends to not meet us for at least a month,” he said.

Even though the medical and non-medical staff took care of us, we miss home and home-made food,” he said while speaking over the phone.

VEHICLE, PEOPLE MOVEMENT BANNED IN PUNE TILL MARCH 31

As the city is grappling the Covid-19 outbreak, all vehicular movement in the city was brought to a halt by the city traffic police on Monday. K Venkatesham, commissioner, Pune city police, took to social media on Monday evening and stated, “Vehicle movement will be stopped completely from evening today [Monday]. Please note.”

Their samples were found to be negative on Monday evening. We will send next second sample on Tuesday and if it also comes out to be negative we will discharge both of them as per the discharge protocol. DR RAMCHANDRA HANKARE, PMC health chief

We have been spending the isolation period by reading books. I brought ten books along with me, of which I have read three. The first thing we will do once we go home is sanitise our house and unpack. HUSBAND, who was infected