30 Siwan villages sealed as 4 test positive for corona

PATNA: The Siwan district administration has sealed nearly 30 villages under three blocks in the district after four residents of the area tested positive for novel coronavirus on Tuesday night. The infected persons had returned from Middle East countries recently.
The borders of the villages the victims belonged to were also sealed and any movement of the residents in the 3km radius was banned.While two victims were stated to be residents of Barharia, one each hailed from Darauli and Hasanpura blocks.
Siwan DM Amit Kumar Pandey said the protocol for the Covid-19 victims was being strictly followed. Barricades have been erected on all entry points of the villages concerned. Police personnel have also been deployed there. The health department officials have been asked to examine the inhabitants on a regular basis and send reports to the headquarters.
“The residents have been told not to venture out from their houses. The essential commodities, including medicines, will be provided to them through the PDS dealers and by the agents of the firms engaged for the distribution works,” he told this newspaper over phone on Wednesday.
The test reports of the four victims — Raja Kumar, Sah Manoj, Bhola Sharma and Md Meeraj Hussan — came from IGIMS, Patna on Tuesday night following which the family members were put under quarantine at the Sadar hospital. The four had come to Siwan from Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Sharjah and Bahrain respectively on March 22.
While Raja and Manoj had landed at Mumbai airport and Bhola and Meeraj at Delhi airport. They later reached their respective villages under Barharia, Jamobazar, Pachrukhi and Darauli police stations.
Siwan SP said besides police personnel, village chaukidars have been deployed in the villages under containment zone to keep a vigil on the inhabitants or the visitors. “Those found to be flouting the order will be booked under Sections 188, 269 and 270 of IPC,” the SP said, adding that patrolling in those villages had been intensified to ensure that those under home quarantine didn’t venture out of their houses. The people in containment zone were made aware of the restrictions through public address system.
Siwan ADM Raman Kumar Sinha said mukhiyas and panchayat functionaries besides ASHA workers and Jeevika didis have also been roped in for surveillance. Earlier, a resident of Nautan block in the district was tested positive for coronavirus.
At least 25,000 population under Darauli Mathia, Akabarpur, Dumarhar Bujurg, Marauli, Chakri, Belao Kumti Mitauli panchayats were under surveillance. The state health society had earlier issued a circular in this connection.
Similarly, borders of eight villages under Thave block in neighbouring Gopalganj district have been sealed after a 35-year-old youth was tested positive for coronavirus a few days ago. Gopalganj DM Arshad Aziz said 19 members of the infected youth were sent to the quarantine centre and their samples had been sent to Patna for further examination.
Gopalganj SP Manoj Kumar Tiwari said Rapid Action Force were deployed on the borders of Bedu Tola, the native village of the victim. “All shops, business establishments and public places have been sealed. Medical teams have been deployed at the villages to conduct regular health check-up,” he added.
The restrictions imposed by the district administration has, however, not gone down well on the inhabitants. “First we were subjected to ‘janata curfew’ and then total lockdown. Now we have to follow guidelines for home quarantine. We don’t know how long the people’s ordeal will continue,” said Sanjay Pandey of Thave.
Reports of people tested positive and subsequent sealing of the affected villages have also poured in from Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Munger and Nalanda districts as well.