Farmers Movement Archive

Cases from high-density areas cause of worry in Jalandhar

Tribune News ServiceJalandhar, April 10With the Covid-positive patient count in Jalandhar touching 12 today, the district seems to be emerging as the next hotspot for the disease. The new positive case today is a 17-year-old boy from Nijatam Nagar, whose father and mother are already undergoing treatment.As many as 86 persons from the district, who are immediate contacts of Covid patients, have been quarantined at the Civil Hospital for the past few days and their samples are being taken.The 12 patients include seven from the city, four from Virk village of Phillaur (three got cured) and daughter of deceased Bhai Nirmal Singh from Lohian.The biggest worry for the administration so far is that the seven positive cases that have emerged so far from the city are from the old city areas where the density of population is very high. In all such localities, including Anand Nagar (of Maqsudan), Old Sabzi Mandi, Mitha Bazaar, Bhairon Bazaar and Nijatam Nagar (three from a family), the police have ensured there was only one entry and exit point.Commissioner of Police Gurpreet S Bhullar said, “Policemen are standing guard at all sealed areas and ensuring there is no movement. Restricted entry, that too only of a few vendors for the supply of vegetables and milk, has been allowed in these areas. The best part is that youth volunteers from such areas have themselves taken to sealing of their lanes by tying ropes at the entrances and standing guard 24X7 by rotation. This will further ensure containment.”To ensure early diagnosis, Deputy Commissioner Varinder K Sharma says, “I have directed the health teams to do more testing. I have also asked them to quarantine the immediate contacts of the positive patients at the Civil Hospital.”He said he had roped in several officials and delegated them different tasks. SDM Jai Inder Singh said, “We have declared 1 sq km area in Mitha Bazaar (from where a positive patient died on Thursday) as a containment area. All curfew passes that were issued in the area have been cancelled as a blanket order. The area ACP and his police team are ensuring that no one steps out of the house.”In another locality Purani Sabzi Mandi, from where a woman tested positive for Covid yesterday, the health officials have taken samples of 11 members of her joint family and also the domestic help. Dr Harish Bhardwaj from the Civil Hospital and his team of health workers have been assigned the task to visit 227 houses in the area.As many as 72 contacts of an operation theatre assistant from Sacred Heart Hospital of Maqsudan, whose report came yesterday, have been quarantined. His wife was a receptionist at the hospital whereas he had been doing physiotherapy for two patients and had also gone to Police Lines recently for treating a patient.DC Sharma said, “I have been holding flag march daily and urging residents to stay indoors. It is for the first time today that I can see some compliance. As far as the infrastructure is concerned, we don’t have any shortage. We have the required equipment and we are expecting delivery of some more orders shortly.”

The Tribune

2020-04-11