Ration shop owner tests Covid positive in Roop Nagar, 1,648 beneficiaries put in home quarantine

A ration shop owner in Roop Nagar neighbourhood tested Covid-19 positive, following which the district administration has directed all beneficiaries of the fair

A ration shop owner in Roop Nagar neighbourhood tested Covid-19 positive, following which the district administration has directed all beneficiaries of the fair price shop – as many as 1,648 – to remain in home quarantine. They have also put the locality under surveillance for the next 14 days, a senior government official said Tuesday.

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This is the first such instance of a ration shop owner getting infected in the capital. The person has no history of travel to foreign countries. The health department is in the process of tracing his contacts, a senior government official said.

A similar case in Gujarat’s Surat last week had set the alarm bells ringing for fear of a community spread, and the municipal corporation of Surat had reportedly asked all beneficiaries of the fair price shop to visit the nearby health centre for a medical examination.

The test result of the ration shop owner in Roop Nagar, which HT has seen, showed that his sample was collected on April 18 and the report came on Monday.

District magistrate (central) Nidhi Srivastava confirmed the case and said the administration is taking all necessary precautions and have asked all beneficiaries of the shop to remain in home quarantine.

A health department official further confirmed that they have been approached by other residents of the area who are proactively participating in ensuring proper isolation and quarantine. Some of them have proposed to the government that the area be declared a containment zone and sealed.

“The ration shop owner was feeling unwell last week and first visited the doctor on April 15. His family members have been sent into quarantine and they are scheduled to be tested on April 25. The shop has 1,648 beneficiaries registered. This is a matter of concern. The patient in this case has been admitted to a private hospital and his family is unsure about any financial aid from the government,” Shailendra Kumar, president of public distribution system welfare association, said.

Meanwhile, Tuesday, the Delhi government issued an order directing all fair price shop dealers to update records of their stocks and beneficiaries on a day-to-day basis.