The apathetic attitude of many who have been quarantined for the COVID-19 disease, especially those came from abroad, has become a matter of concern for the Pathanamthitta administration
The reported reluctance of the 40-year-old man from Aranmula who came from the United Kingdom and the 45-year old man from Adoor who came from Dubai 10 days ago in revealing their itinerary is a pointer in this regard.
District Collector P.B. Noohu told The Hindu that the Health surveillance teams had to fetch both of them to the hospital following a telephonic tip-off received from the local people on their free mingling in the community, posing serious health risk to the general public. The man from Aranmula had entered an ATM cabin in the town even after giving his throat swab sample at the hospital laboratory, sources said.
The Collector said the authorities were trying to identify their contacts by tracking various mobile tower locations and even various CCTV footages of the vehicle that carried them to various places during the past 12 days to identify at least a few of their contacts. All these are avoidable headaches to the district machinery that has been working overnight to contain the COVID-19 crisis, says he.
Mr Noohu said co-operation of the people was a necessity for the success of the ongoing anti-COVID-19 drive. According to him, 900 odd people have come from the affected areas of U.A.E alone to the district in the past two weeks alone. There were also reports of many among them violating the quarantine norms and hence the administration has decided to affix posters, detailing their quarantine period, in front of their residences so that the community too would be made aware of its seriousness, he said.
Directive
Mr Noohu said he has already directed all the 70 village officers, 53 panchayat secretaries and the tahsildars in the district to cover at least 10 houses that housed the quarantined people on a daily basis.
