Shillong, Apr 15 , 2020: A 69-year-old doctor from Shillong, the first Covid-19 positive patient of Meghalaya, passed away early on Wednesday.

John L Sailo Ryntathiang, the managing director of Bethany Hospitals, died at around 3:00 am on Wednesday, sources confirmed. He had tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday.

This is the second Covid-19 fatality in the Northeast after the death of a 65-year-old patient at Assam’s Silchar Medical College and Hospital last week. There are a total of 40 Covid-19 positive patients in the region – 32 in Assam, two in Manipur and Tripura and one each in Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Though Ryntathiang didn’t have any recent travel history, he reportedly got infected from his son-in-law, a pilot with Air India who had returned from New York to Delhi on March 16 and reached Shillong on March 24.

I am deeply saddened to inform that the first #COVID19 positive patient in Meghalaya passed away this morning at 2:45 am. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace.

— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) April 15, 2020

pic. file photo Bethany Hospital Shillong