Growing Covid-19 cases among supply chain people a big worry in Meerut

District health officials are worried over the growing corona cases among those associated with supply chain of essential items.

District health officials are worried over the growing corona cases among those associated with supply chain of essential items in Meerut.

The infected people are mainly fruit and vegetable vendors, grocery shop owners and those working in dairies and medicine shops.

The health officials claim that at least 64 of the total 260 Covid-19 cases in the district are of those associated with supply chain and their numbers are still rising.

The infected people are mainly fruit and vegetable vendors, grocery shop owners and those working in dairies and medicine shops.

The first corona case among supply chain people was of a fruit vendor in Naveen Mandi of T P Nagar area in first week of May. He later died during treatment in a Delhi hospital.

District surveillance officer Dr Vishwas Choudhary admitted that infection in people associated with supply chain is a matter of great concern.

Citing example of positive cases in Ravindrapuri of Sadar area here, he said “Twenty-two members of a family got infected after coming in contact with the fruit seller who later died during treatment.”

Moe than two dozen Covid-19 cases have been detected in Ravindrapuri alone so far. Dr Chowdhary said pool tests were conducted in Mandi and many vendors, shopkeepers and those who came in their contacts had tested positive and their numbers were still growing.

A vegetable vendor in Hastinapur and an employee in a medical shop in Daurala area were also found positive along with a constable of Lisari gate police station on Monday.

“We are keeping a close watch on testing of samples those associated with supply chain and making them aware of following social distancing and also asking them to use masks at their workplace,” Dr Choudhary said.

Taking note of the situation, the district administration has shifted retail vegetable market to two locations on the outskirts of the city where shopkeepers are observing social distancing. Shopkeepers and vendors have also been asked to frequently use sanitiser, wear masks and follow other lockdown norms to protect themselves from the deadly virus. So far, 14 people have died of corona in the district.

Dr Tanuraj Sirohi, former president, Indian Medical Association’s Meerut unit, said tracing contacts of people in supply chain was a tedious task because they dealt with a number of people everyday.