The Meghalaya health department is yet to decide whether to count an asymptomatic patient as a COVID19 death because he passed away after falling inside his bathroom on Wednesday.
Seventy-year-old Rajendra Shah was brought dead to Shillong Civil Hospital, according to doctors.
The deceased was a resident of 29 Cantonment Anjalee.
“The person was mentally unstable. He fell inside his bathroom. He was brought to Shillong Civil Hospital at around 3:30 pm on Wednesday, and the doctors declared he was brought dead,” the director of health services (MI), Dr Aman War said.
Dr War said the person was an asymptomatic patient, and was under home quarantine, after he tested positive for COVID19 on August 21.
Dr War said consultations are on to decide whether the death should be counted as a death due to COVID19 or not.
Meanwhile, the DHS informed that the number of active cases came down from 1,178 to 1,168 following the recovery of 42 more patients on Wednesday, taking the total number of recovered persons to 874.
However, the state recorded another 49 new positive cases on Wednesday.
Out of 49 new cases, 32 were detected in East Khasi Hills district which includes 30 civilians and two Armed Forces personnel, nine in East Garo Hills, seven in West Garo Hills, and one in Ri-Bhoi district.
The 42 COVID19 patients, who recovered on Wednesday include 32 from West Garo Hills district, seven from East Khasi Hills district, and three from South West Garo Hills district.
Dr War also informed that 17 armed forces personnel, who tested positive for COVID19 in Ri-Bhoi district, have migrated to Assam as the personnel had to undergo training in Assam.
In all, Meghalaya has a total of 2,067 cases which include 1,168 active cases, 874 persons who have recovered, 17 cases migrated to Assam, and eight deaths.