NAGPUR: Ten members of a family from Shivaji Nagar under Dharampeth zone tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.
They had returned from a marriage ceremony in Hyderabad some days ago. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) zonal medical team has identified 30 close contacts of the family and took their samples too.
Nagpur district recorded a sudden spike of 19 cases — 16 from city, 2 rural, 1 outside district — on Tuesday. Six new city patients are from other parts. The 10 family members have been admitted to private hospitals and said to be vaccinated, excluding one under 18 years of age.
Total 79 flyers landed in the city from the Sharjah-Nagpur flight of which 70 were tested but none was found positive. Rest were below 18 years old. The flyers were allowed to go home after giving their samples unlike last time when they were made to wait till results came.
Tuesday’s spurt was second in the last five days where an entire family or more members tested positive. The samples would be sent for genome sequencing.
Following spurt in cases, municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B said NMC’s flying squads will visit marriage venues to randomly test the guests. Also, if violations are found, the venue owner would be fined and certain restrictions will be imposed.
Introduction of fresh containment measures would depend on detection of the new Omicron variant’s confirmed cases. So, three international flyers have tested positive and their samples are under genomic study to check the Sars-Cov2 variant they might be carrying.
The civic chief cautioned that infection is spreading at marriages and gatherings, so people need to be more alert. Asked if any restrictions would be imposed on such functions, Radhkrishnan said, “It is too early to comment on that. I have instructed our health officials to visit marriage venues and randomly take samples. This is to put some sort of deterrent,” he said.
Regarding institutional quarantine for asymptomatic positive patients, he ruled out stopping the measures anytime soon. “Till we have the capacity, we shall continue to isolate all new patients in CCC or a DCH, if they wish. Home isolation would not be an option for new patients as of now,” he said.
