Aggressive testing, strict vigil helped village contain virus

Aparna Banerji
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, April 11

Pathlawa village in Nawanshahr, the state’s first Covid hotspot, has succeeded in containing Covid spread.

While it’s been 16 days since Pathlawa saw its last positive case, a mix of aggressive testing coupled with community effort and policing enabled it to achieve the positive results.

Nawanshahr carried out testing — at one point of time indulging in mass testing (135 per day).

Mass testing began after March 22 when a priest, who was close to the 70-year-old victim, tested positive, triggering fears of community spread.

The villagers took it upon themselves to enforce social distancing norms. To date, of the 16 positive cases in the village, 10 have returned home. Three persons tested negative and three more are being treated.

A village committee started a token system and distanced queues to prevent social contact. With nakas at all village entrances, a helpline was launched for providing medicines and ration.

Armed with cartwheels, villagers went door to door to distribute sanitisers and masks.

Another village group, members of which include 28-year-old Mohammed Khan, 50-year-old advocate Jaspal Kaur and residents Harpeet Singh (35) Amarpreet Singh Ladi (47) and Jaspal Singh (48), has even volunteered to cremate victims, whose kin refused to perform the last rites.

Harpreet Singh said: “Villagers knew they had to fight this crisis. Be it Gujjars or Nihangs, our team has everyone on board. Every villager contributes. Tokens were introduced at the panchayat ghar, where villagers were to line up according to token number to avoid crowding. 3 feet distancing circles have been drawn at all ration disbursal areas to prevent close contact. Those under quarantine weren’t allowed to come out. Packets of food were kept outside their homes.” Only teams provide ration and other essential items.

Nawanshahr Deputy Commissioner Vinay Bublani said, “A majority of those receiving treatment have recovered. We have tested 451 persons, sought the state’s help and called teams from Patiala and Amritsar to scale up testing. We are now in the next phase of surveillance and door to door monitoring of symptomatic people”