Thiruvananthapuram, May 9 (IANS): Amid the coronavirus battle across the country, good news for some keeps pouring in: Hours after landing in her native state from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, a woman gave birth on Saturday to her first child, a baby boy.

Reena Thomson, who was working as a staff nurse in Riyadh, landed at the Kozhikode airport at 10.30 pm on Friday under the Vande Bharat mission launched by the Centre to bring home Indian diaspora from different countries in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.

As per the protocol for returnees, her saliva swab was taken soo after she landed and sent to the Government Medical College Hospital for COVID-19 test.

Since her husband was in Kerala, she returned alone and reached her home in Chitoor in Palakkad district around 3 am on Saturday.

Soon after, she was in labour and was rushed to Government Women and Children Hospital in Palakkad, where she underwent a caesarean section.

"We are glad that the mother and the baby are doing well," said gynaecologist Sindhu.