Panaji, Jan 28 (PTI) A man has been hospitalised in Goa as a precautionary measure for possible exposure to the novel Coronavirus during his recent visit to China, a senior official said on Tuesday.

State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the person was a foreign national who had come to Goa after visiting China.

The man was admitted in the isolation ward of the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) with symptoms similar to novel coronavirus, officially called the 2019-nCoV, infection, he added.

"The patient had travelled to China in the recent past and had complained of a sore throat since his return. We admitted him in an isolation ward as a precautionary measure. His samples have been to Pune for further tests," he said.

This is the first such move in the state since the nCoV illness broke out in China, the official added.

A task force has been formed in Goa to tackle any possible case of the virus, he said.

Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat asked Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to take "steps on priority" to tackle the situation.

Chinese health officials on Tuesday said 106 people have been killed so far due to the virus.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)