The 65-year-old man from Allipuram area in Visakhapatnam, who was the first to test positive for COVID-19 from the city and was under treatment at Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases, was declared as negative by the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, on Saturday.
The man with a travel history to Saudi Arabia was admitted to the hospital on March 17 and was declared as positive on March 19.
He was put under treatment at GHCCD and his samples were sent to the lab at Kakinada on Friday. On Saturday, the reports confirmed that he was cured and declared negative, said the district health officials. However, sources said that he will be discharged after some more reconfirmation and tests.
The man was the first positive case from the city, and his family members and a few others who had come in contact with him were identified and quarantined. One of his family members, a 49-year-old woman, also tested positive at a later date and is under treatment at GHCCD.
In the city, so far 131 samples were collected, 115 tested negative, four, including the 65-year-old, tested positive and results of 12 are yet to be received.
