After having battled the threat of coronavirus being spread from NRIs and then from Tablighi Jamaat members, Punjab faces a new challenge: The return of those stranded in other states.
In what has brought state health authorities on their toes, eight stranded pilgrims brought back from Shri Nanded Sahib in Maharashtra have tested positive for COVID-19. While five persons tested positive in Tarn Taran district—that had zero cases till date—three others including a minor girl tested positive in Kapurthala.
Taking a stern stance, the state government has decided to shift all the returnees to government-run quarantine homes and test them for coronavirus before sending them home. The health department has, meanwhile, mandated opening only single entry points on state border where multipurpose health workers will be deployed to screen the entrants.
According to the state government, a total of 4,000 people will be reaching from Nanded, while 3,000 stranded people from Jaisalmer are on their way back to Punjab in 60 buses and will reach the state on Tuesday morning. This has raised an immediate requirement for quarantine centres and the district administrations have flung into action to set them up overnight.
“The DCs and SSPs of all districts have been appraised that all new returnees to state will be put under government quarantine. They should now look for hotels, religious places, other institutions etc to set up quarantine homes,” said Special Chief Secretary K.B.S. Sidhu.
It may be noted that the state government is in the process of bringing back students stranded across the country along with pilgrims. The corona positive status of many of them has lead to major concern in Punjab with people demanding sealing of borders and confinement of the returnees in quarantine homes either at places they are stranded or in border districts of Punjab.
