Covid-19: 115 contacts of Gidderbaha patient who kept health dept on toes test negative

Dr Paramjit Sandhu, district Covid nodal officer said about 170 samples were taken since Saturday in the Subhash Nagar locality where the 45-year-old man lives

As many as 115 direct contacts of Gidderbaha town’s first Covid-19 patient, who kept the health authorities on tenterhooks as he was unwilling to share details of his travel history, have been tested negative in the last three days.

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Dr Paramjit Sandhu, district Covid nodal officer said about 170 samples were taken since Saturday in the Subhash Nagar locality where the 45-year-old man lives. The reports of 55 people are awaited, he added.

The patient, a cosmetics shop owner and a used car dealer, was tested positive for the disease on June 21 and has infected at least 10 persons, including six members of his family.

Sub-divisional magistrate Om Prakash said the patient is still not parting with his travel details. “Initial information gathered from his mobile phone details collected from “dumps” or data from signal towers stated that he was in Dabwali town in Haryana a few days ago. Notice will be served to him as per the legal provisions of Epidemic Act and other provisions for not following quarantine norms after interstate movement,” he said.

Muktsar senior superintended of police (SSP) Raj Bachan Sandhu said an input that the patient visited Delhi recently is still under investigation.

“He will be counselled to share his travel history to enable the health authorities to zero down on the source of his infection and identify if more persons may have contracted the virus from him. Due legal action will be taken after mobile phone details are analysed in the next couple of days,” said the SSP.