3 Gurdaspur villages declared quarantine zones

Foreign missionaries had held health check-up camps in these villages from March 15-18; a positive patient from Rupnagar is a contact of some of the organisers

Three villages, Jaffarwal, Rauwal and Varsal Chak, in Gurdaspur district have been declared as quarantine zones, after getting information that health camps had been organised from March 15-18 by some foreign Christian Missionaries here. According to a health department update of April 4, a resident of Rupnagar district, a contact of the organisers had coordinated with them to hold similar camps in Rupnagar villages, and had tested positive. There is no positive case in his district yet, Gurdaspur civil surgeon Dr Kishan Chand said.

Three villages, Jaffarwal, Rauwal and Varsal Chak, in Gurdaspur district have been declared as quarantine zones. (HT photo)

“The population of these villages has been screened, no one is symptomatic. Nevertheless, the villages have been declared as quarantine zones,” said Punjab special chief secretary, Karan Bir Singh Sidhu.

Gulshan Masih, of Jaffarwal village, who had attended the health camp that pastor Randeep Masih had organised at the village on March 16, said, “Around 100 residents of Jaffarwal, including women and children, had attended this camp.” He added, “A team of doctors from Naushehra Majha Singh Community Health Centre on Sunday visited the village and screened all those who had attended the March 16 health camp. Then, a quarantine notice of 14 days was pasted outside 20 houses.”

Civil surgeon Dr Chand said, “We conducted a check-up on 49 Christians from Rauwal village; six of Chak Yaqub; four of Kahnuwan and one from Warrainch village. All of them were found to be fine.”