Ex-BSF jawan from Nadia tests positive for Covid-19

Biswabrata Goswami

Statesman News Service

KRISHNAGAR, 16 APRIL: An ex-BSF jawan, who is currently attached with Khidirpur dock as a security person, tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cumulative cases in the apparently 'non containment zone' district to six.

This time, the 55-year-old man, a resident of Charatal under Chapra police station area in Nadia, has been taken to the Kalyani S N R Carnival COVID-19 hospital, while his five family members including two minors have been sent to isolation center in the Covid hospital for observation, a senior district health official said.

Earlier, five persons including three children of a family at Srikrishnapur in Burnia under Tehatta police station area were tested positive for Covid-19. They were all sent to Beleghata ID hospital while eight other family members were sent to Rajarhat quarantine center in Kolkata on 28 March. The health department later identified 71 persons who came in contact with the afflicted persons and they were all taken in quarantine centers. Finally, these infected five persons were released from the hospital as they tested negative for Covid-19.

Within a few days, a new positive case has been found which triggered a fresh panic among the local residents.

As the panic gripped in the locality soon after the news spread, the district health department has begun tracking the persons who came in contact with the afflicted person. “We are collecting data from the locality about the movements of the infected person in the locality and their interaction with the neighbourers or relatives during his stay. For precautionary measures, we will keep the person who came in contact with the infected persons either in quarantine center or in home quarantine,” said a health official.

Meanwhile, the district administration and police have sealed the village and urged the villagers not to go out from their houses.

“We have sealed Charatala village for preventive measures asking villagers not to go out from their houses. We have also put up posters mentioning help line numbers across the area and asked the villagers to call at the helpline numbers for any type of help starting from food items, groceries to medical help. All help will be given to them by our panchayat levels workers and district police will also help them from round the clock till lock down is over,” a senior administrative official said adding “All roads connecting with the village have been sealed so that no one will either enter or go out from the village. Basically, we have put the entire village in quarantine.”

The local police have also swung into action to prevent any assembly in the locality. “We have started relaying our information to the villagers about do’s and don’ts. As the area is minority class dominated, we have pressed our vigil in the locality”, a police officer said.

According to a health official, the infected man came to Chapra from Khidirpur on 8 March after hiring a vehicle when he started feeling feverish. The health official was informed about his appearance in the locality on 10 March. He was then taken to Chapra hospital from where he was admitted in the Saktinagar district hospital. He was later taken to the isolation center in the Glocal hospital. During his stay in the Glocal hospital, his sample was sent to Kolkata and his report came to the district authority yesterday.

A local resident who did not wish to be named said the man at first was examined in a Kolkata hospital when he started feeling uneasiness. The Kolkata hospital suggested him to go to Rajarhat quarantine center for quarantine, but he fled from the quarantine center and reached his house at Charatala a few days ago. During his stay, he interacted with several people for at least two days and finally when he could not get rid from his ailments, he went to the Chapra hospital.