Sunday, March 29, 2020

Returnee migrant workers from India resist quarantine

Jajarkot, March 29
The risk of possible coronavirus infection looms large in Jajarkot district as people appear to be least interested in observing the lockdown and mandatory quarantine provision for those who have recently returned from abroad .

With the threat of coronavirus increasing in India, a large number of people from the district who were working in India earlier have now returned home. Some of them crossed over the border from India secretly avoiding mandatory screening on the border. They are now moving in their locality openly, this has increased the threat of possible spread of the contagion here, health workers said.

No one has kept any record of how many people have returned from India.

According to police, 18 persons who have recently returned from India recently are in home quarantine in wards 10 and 11 of Bheri Municipality.

Similarly, 14 persons in wards 1 and 2 of Shivalaya, three persons in Ward No 9 of Borekot Rural Municipality, and eight in wards 3, 6 and 10 of Chhedagada Municipality are said to be in home quarantine.

But locals have said that the quarantined persons haven’t been following quarantine norms and are openly moving around with their families.

“Clearly, provisions such as home quarantine and lockdown aren’t being observed in the district. With people being dismissive towards these preventive measures against the deadly virus, chances of the virus spreading have increased,” said Nara Bahadur Basnet of Kudu, Bheri Municipality.

Chief District Officer Kishor Kumar Shrestha conceded that the provision of mandatory quarantine for people returning from outside hasn’t been fully implemented in the district.

“It’s true that not all who have returned from India have been put in quarantine.

But we’re taking initiative to keep those who have returned from India recently in quarantine for some days in coordination with the local bodies concerned,” he said, adding that his office was collecting details of people who entered the country secretly in recent days.

Dr Bhupendra Malla of District Hospital urged all coming from abroad to follow the mandatory quarantine provision.

The post Returnee migrant workers from India resist quarantine appeared first on The Himalayan Times.

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