GANGTOK: Sikkim's tourism minister -- the veteran 69-year-old politician Bedu Singh Panth -- has tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to sources, Panth is isolating at home to wear away the effects of the virus.
Sikkim’s COVID-19 tally rose to 32,649 on Saturday as 45 people tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said.
Twenty-three cases were registered in East Sikkim, followed by thirteen in South Sikkim and nine in West Sikkim.
The state’s coronavirus death toll remained unchanged at 409, as no fresh fatality was registered.
Sikkim now has 152 active COVID-19 cases, while 31,736 people have been cured of the disease, and 352 patients have migrated to other states so far.
The recovery rate stood at 98.3 per cent.
The state has thus far tested over 2.81 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 424 in the last 24 hours, it said adding that the positivity rate stood at 10.6 per cent.