Panchkula Sector 15 sealed; husband also tests +ve

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 15

The entire residential area of Sector 15 was sealed today for 14 days by the district authorities as one of the residents – a 44-year-old woman – tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday. Her 48-year-old husband also tested positive for the disease today.

The Panchkula District Magistrate, in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, Haryana, and other senior officials, passed an order for the sealing of the residential area.

“In view of the guidelines/advisories issued by the government, the area of Sector 15, Panchkula, has been kept as a containment cluster and necessary action is ordered to be taken by creating a containment zone and a buffer zone,” it said.

Following the order, a heavy police force was deployed at the entry and exit points to restrict the entry of persons in the containment zone and residents were advised not to step out of their houses.

Directions issued to depts

The Deputy Commissioner of Police was advised to put up nakas to control vehicular movement towards the sector.

The Commissioner-cum-Administrator of the Municipal Corporation was asked to sanitise the entire area and ensure disposal of solid waste.

The Health Department was told to deploy sufficient number of teams for conducting door-to-door screening of persons having flu-like symptoms throughout the containment zone.

Doorstep delivery of essential goods

To ensure the delivery of essential goods on the doorstep of house owners, the administration has issued a list of provisional stores and their respective delivery person. Many have come forward to volunteer.

Two inspectors from the Food and Supply Department have also been deployed to ensure the orders.

New case worries Health Dept

The new Covid case — that of a 44-year-old woman, a post office employee — is a concern for the Health Department as the latest infected person had no travel or contact history.

A health official said she might have caught the infection while stepping outside her house during the lockdown.

Her family members, including her husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and daughters, have been identified as part of the contract-tracing exercise.

Total positive cases: 6

So far, Panchkula district has witnessed six positive cases. The first two women – a 40-year-old from Khark Mangoli and a staff nurse – were discharged from the Civil Hospital on April 11 after winning the battle against Covid. There are now four active cases in Panchkula.

44-year-old Woman’s 27 contacts traced

• A day after a 44-year-old woman from Sector 15 here was found Covid positive, her 48-year-old husband was diagnosed with the infectious disease. Dr Rajiv Narwal, district nodal officer for Covid, has confirmed the development. Now, the number of positive cases in the district stands at seven. The Health Department has traced 27 persons, including family members, during the contact tracing of the woman.
• The woman infected with the virus was receiving treatment at a private clinic in Sector 11.
• Dr Rishi Nagpal, who runs the clinic, his wife and a son have been admitted to the isolation ward at the Civil Hospital.

Supply of essential items hit

• Residents of Sector 15 on Wednesday bore the brunt of the failure of the administration to provide them essentials, including milk, vegetables and medicines. The administration had advised sector residents not to step outside their house and promised them delivery on the doorstep. An official admitted that the supply of regular commodities was hit and there was laxity on the part of the Food and Supply Department.
• SK Nayar, president, Citizens’ Welfare Association, Panchkula, said, “The administration failed to deliver essential goods to a majority of houses in Sector 15 on the first day after the sector was sealed. The sector will remain sealed for 14 days, so the supply needs to be streamlined.”