E-Paper
70% villages in Rupnagar under self-isolation
At a when social distancing and staying at home could be critical to containing covid-19, 424 of 619 villages in the district have self-isolated themselves to date.
At a when social distancing and staying at home could be critical to containing covid-19, 424 of 619 villages in the district have self-isolated themselves to date. The first of the villages took the step four days ago.
Police and volunteers are coordinating to ensure more villages join in and have roped in the youth of the village to ensure implementation. The young volunteers have barricaded entrances to their villages to stop entry of outsiders.
“This is an emergency. We need to brave such hardships for the sake of our health,” says Gardaley village sarpanch Mohan Lal.
Rupnagar SSP Swapan Sharma said, “We have issued identity cards to 1,200 volunteers in 710 villages and urban wards. These volunteers are being directed and informed about the latest guideline and procedures through social media groups, which are administered from the police war room in district headquarters.” He added that from this war room, calls were being made to all sarpanches, chowkidars and ex-servicemen of villages to assess the ground situation on all aspects.
“All directions and advisories of the health department and the government are being announced from village gurdwaras and temples. This direct link of communication has helped in inspiring confidence among people. I feel within three days, almost all villages will self-isolate.”
He added that since curfew imposition, police had distributed 30,000 packets of cooked food and 17,600 packets of dry ration among the needy.
Rupnagar civil surgeon Dr HN Sharma said the self-isolation of villages was the best step, at this stage. “We are safe despite being surrounded by the three hotspots– Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahar and Mohali – due to self isolation,” he claimed. He added that there were 440 foreign-returned individuals under quarantine in the district. Of 14 samples taken, 11 have come negative and two are awaited.
