Factually incorrect: Centre fact checks Congress leader Shashi Tharoor`s claims on Andaman COVID-19 figures

The central government labelled Congress MP Shashi Tharoor`s claims on Andaman and Nicobar islands COVID-19 figures as `factually incorrect`. It said, `Andamans has reported only 16 COVID-19 related deaths during the second wave of the pandemic.`

New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday (May 12) categorically rejected senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's claims that the COVID-19 situation is deteriorating in the Andaman and Nicobar and at least 4-5 people are succumbing due to the infection at the GB Pant Hospital and no testing has been carried out by authorities.

The government countered Tharoor’s claims by listing the coronavirus data of the island.

Andamans reported 16 COVID-19 related deaths during second wave of pandemic

The official Twitter handle of PIB Fact Check stated that the Andamans has reported only 16 COVID-19 related deaths during the second wave of the pandemic. It also stated that the island has a recovery rate of 96 per cent, which is the highest in the country. "The island also has the highest tests per million in the country," the Centre further said.

"Disturbed to receive reports of a deteriorating #COVID situation in the Andamans, stories of 4-5 deaths daily at the GB Pant Hospital, figures of cases& deaths allegedly suppressed, no testing even of symptomatic cases, only 50 ventilators for 4 lakh people. Media sadly silent," Tharoor had tweeted.

Hope my sources were wrong on Andamans COVID figures: Shashi Tharoor

However, after the government's clarification on Andamans situation on COVID, the Congress leader expressed his relief and said he was glad to hear it. "My sources are Govt employees on the island, who wrote to me begging for national attention to the problems they were reporting. They are too scared to be identified, so I can’t ask them to come forward. I will take your word for it & hope my sources were wrong," Tharoor tweeted.

Meanwhile, 28 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, pushing the coronavirus tally in the union territory to 6,426, a health department official said on Wednesday. All the new cases in the archipelago were detected during contact tracing, the official said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 78 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, official told PTI.