After a 70-year-old resident, with travel history to Germany and Italy, tested positive for COVID-19 and died in Punjab, his native village Pathlawa — with a population of around 3,000 — in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district has been quarantined.
“We have quarantined Pathlawa village. So far, we have identified 56 people, who had come into the contact of the deceased. This number may increase as the process of tracing his possible contacts was still on. People have been home-quarantined and have been advised to stay inside their houses,” Vinay Bublani, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, told The Hindu.
Mr. Bulani said all entry and exit points had been restricted and adequate arrangements put in place to fulfil the basic requirements of residents in the village.
“We are collecting samples of those displaying symptoms,” he added.
The deceased arrived from Germany via Italy at Delhi airport on March 7, and proceeded to the State on the same day. He was known to have diabetes and hypertension, and was confirmed positive for coronavirus on March 18, a government statement said on Thursday.
SBS Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police Alka Meena said: “We are strictly following the advisories issued by the government and not allowing anyone to go inside or out of the village.”
