24 COVID-19 patients test negative in Sangli: Minister

Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh on Friday claimed that 24 of the 26 COVID-19 patients in Sangli district were cured of the infection and hailed the medical team treating them.

Earlier, Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil had said that 22 coronavirus patients in the district were cured and praised the local administration and citizens for their efforts.

Patil, who is also Sangli's Guardian Minister, said 25 persons had earlier tested positive for coronavirus in Islampur, while one COVID-19 patient was found in Wadgaon in the district.

In a statement, Deshmukh said, "These patients were under observation at Miraj Medical College. The results of their second test have come out negative, which marks a big success." He also congratulated the medical team for its efforts.

In a video message on Facebook, Patil had said a three-pronged approach of isolation, cluster identification and social distancing was adopted in Islampur to contain the spread and called it "Islampur pattern".

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The state NCP president also lavished praise on the people of Islampur and Sangli for ensuring that the experiment of isolation in the district was a "100 per cent success".

"I am happy to inform that we have been able to control the spread of coronavirus with the cooperation of government officials, staffers and people. The families who were infected by coronavirus, are now completely cured," he said.

Patil said he was relieved to some extent and confident that the virus will not spread in the district.

"But the lockdown is still in force and people must observe it completely," the minister said.

Patil also urged people of the state to follow the government's orders and stay home to defeat the deadly disease.

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