Lakshadweep: The only place in India with zero COVID-19 cases

With over 1.3 lakh affected due to virus in the mainland, Lakshadweep is the only part of India which has remained free of the disease with no positive cases so far.

The beautiful archipelago consisting of 36 islands located off the coast of Kerala with a population of 64,000 is highly dependent on Kerala for their medical needs.

Health officials of the UT attribute the success to early preparedness, mandatory testing of its residents and strict quarantine. The achievement is especially remarkable as there had been a constant movement of people and essential supplies between Kerala and the islands till mid-March.

With restricting the entry of people, beginning with the foreign tourists and then the domestic tourists, a strict lockdown was imposed in the island. The people of Lakshadweep who wanted to come back were all tested for coronavirus through RT-PCR in Kochi and Mangalore and were brought back only if they tested negative.