Sikkim reports first Covid death, extends lockdown till August 1

Gangtok, July 26: The Sikkim government has extended the statewide lockdown till August 1 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to a notification.

A complete, six-day lockdown, imposed by the hilly state, was scheduled to end on Sunday.

"After careful consideration of the situation, it has been decided to extend the period of lockdown in the entire state of Sikkim till 6 am of August 1, 2020," a notification issued by Chief Secretary S C Gupta said.

The state reported its first COVID-19 death on Sunday after a 74-year-old man succumbed to the disease at a state-run hospital here, the official said.

Sikkim has 357 active cases of COVID-19, while the total cases stand at 499, a senior health official said. As many as 142 people have recovered from the disease.