People in Ranni are cautious though seven persons from Aythala village who tested positive for COVID-19 have returned home after being cured of the disease.
The town has been in a virtual lockdown since March 7, much before the nationwide lockdown that came into force on March 24 to prevent the spread of the disease.
“A pall of gloom fell over the hill tracts and panic gripped the town as the people here, having a good number of relatives and friends in pandemic-hit countries, were aware of the disease and its impact,” said Raju Abraham, MLA.
He said the entire Assembly segment complied with the directives of District Collector P.B. Noohu and District Medical Officer A.L.Sheeja.
“People did not venture out as they were afraid of contracting the disease. All these days, we have been reassuring them as the State has an excellent public health support system,” Mr. Abraham said.
However, the homecoming of all the seven persons from Aythala has infused a new sense of confidence in the people here.
“We should be proud of our public health-care system. The care and treatment we received at the Pathanamthitta General Hospital was like that of any super-specialty hospital in Italy,” says Rijo Moncy, a 26-year old X-ray technician in Italy, who was cured of COVID-19 last week.
The recovery of his 96-year-old grandfather and 90-year-old grandmother after treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, had raised the morale of the State’s health-care sector.
But, people in Ranni are still cautious, as evident from the deserted town and village roads.
“We do not want to take risks and will continue to observe social distancing and other precautions as directed by authorities,” said Thankachan, a hotelier at Mamukku in Ranni.
“Over 15,000 migrant workers have returned to their home States by March 10, bringing down their numbers in Ranni,” says Anilkumar, a building contractor from Kattoor.
