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79 cases in 3 days, Patiala’s Dhablan village turns Covid hotspot

The village with a population of nearly 2,400 has a positivity rate of 10%; declared a containment zone

Published on: May 23, 2021, 01:51:59 IST
By , PATIALA
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With 79 cases of infection reported in the past three days, Dhablan village in Patiala district has turned into a Covid-19 hotspot

A health workers collects swab sample of an elderly man at Dhablan village in Patiala district.
A health workers collects swab sample of an elderly man at Dhablan village in Patiala district.

The village with a population of nearly 2,400 has recorded a positivity rate as high as 10% and was declared a containment zone by the district health department to contain the virus spread.

It recorded five deaths in the past one month. Nearly 800 people were tested in the village in the past one week.

Sarpanch Manpreet Kaur said it all started a month ago. “The virus spread in the village since the villagers did not take any precautions. People continued to sit together in the village common area and did not get tested, which deteriorated the situation,” she said.

Now, the movement in the village has been restricted and those found positive for the virus and their family members are not allowed to step out of their homes.

Dr Aslam Parvez, a medical officer, said of the 42 cases were reported two days ago while 37 tested positive on Saturday.

“The villagers’ reluctance to get tested is the main reason behind the spread. But now, they have started coming forward for testing,” Dr Parvez said.

“We are continuously maintaining communication with the patients so that they can be provided immediate help in case of emergency,” he said.

Patiala civil surgeon Dr Satinder Singh said the department is conducting testing in a phased manner and will test the remaining population at the earliest.

“Since the main road passes through the village, the department has declared both sides of the roads as containment zone,” he said.

  • Navrajdeep Singh
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Navrajdeep Singh

    Navrajdeep Singh is a senior staff correspondent. He covers agriculture, crime, local bodies, health and education in the Patiala district of Punjab.