E-Paper
Covid-19: 200 Noida slum dwellers shifted to government quarantine
Suhas LY, District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar said the people have been quarantined as a precautionary measure.
Authorities in Noida shifted around 200 slum dwellers from Noida’s Sector 8 area to a government quarantine centre in Greater Noida late Tuesday night as a precautionary to avoid community spread of coronavirus in slums spread across Sector 5 and 8 of Gautam Budh Nagar district.
Last week, four people were found positive for the infection in the Nalanda JJ Colony of Noida Sector 5. A domestic help, who worked at the house of an employee of Ceasefire along with her three family members tested positive for Covid-19.
“We have put these persons under quarantine as a precautionary measure. We want to put them under observation as part of the containment exercise. Around 30 to 40 families had connections with the four persons who were found positive for Covid-19 in the JJ Colony of Noida in Sector 5. Nobody’s sample has been collected yet as that will be done only after observing them and if they develop any symptoms,” said Suhas LY, district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar.
“Families are being only quarantined and kept under observation, for their welfare and the welfare of the surrounding areas,” he said.
Till now, the total number of cases in the district is 58, out of which 39 are linked with Ceasefire whose three employees had jumped their quarantine period which led to the spread of Covid-19 in various sectors of the district.
Aurthorities had first planned to send the 200 slum dwellers to send to the Sharda hospital, but later they were shifted to the Galgotias University campus in Greater Noida.
“The whole procedure is part of the containment work in the district to ensure that even asymptomatic patients don’t end up spreading the infection,” said a senior officer.
The Expressway Police has lodged an FIR against Ceasefire under section 45 (Punishment of offences committed within India), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code.
The FIR has been lodged on the orders of the CMO for hiding the foreign travel history by few employees of the firm.
The managing director of ceasefire was also found positive for Covid--19 and had returned from the UK on March 1, another employee had returned on March 7. They also had a visiting auditor from London for three days in the third week of March. All the three persons jumped their quarantine period and were attending office which led to the spread among other employees and then to their family members.
