A sudden spurt of five positive cases in Chittoor district on Tuesday sent a wave of panic across the district, with residents too scared to venture out of their homes even during the relaxation period in the morning.
All of the five new cases in the district are directly linked to a Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Hazrat Nizamuddin area of New Delhi recently. News reports of the five confirmed cases led to panic in Palamaner police sub-division with three cases, followed by one in Srikalahasti and one in Yerpedu.
Srikalahasti had already recorded its first COVID-19 case a few days ago — a young returnee from London.
Despite a relaxation in the lockdown from 6 a.m. till 11 a.m., the alarming rise in number of cases forced people to stay indoors at Palamaner and Gangavaram mandals. The impact of the scare was also felt in surrounding mandals upto V. Kota, Punganur and Madanapalle.
According to medical officials, by Wednesday morning, it was found that as many as 187 persons from Chittoor district had attended the Jamaat meeting in Delhi. Of these, 79 persons were put under quarantine, while most of them rushed to hospitals voluntarily. Surveillance has been mounted on all those who returned from Delhi. “All the five cases that have surfaced freshly are those who have returned from the Jamaat,” District Medical and Health Officer M. Penchalaiah confirmed. The COVID-19 Task Force officials said that rapid action is underway to create a quarantine facility for around 2,000 cases at Tirupati, Madanapalle, Palamaner and Puttur, for which educational institutions would also be roped in.
The specially-created market facilities at various municipalities of Madanapalle, Nagari, Puttur, Palamaner and Chittoor wore a deserted look on Wednesday. In view of the desolate situation at the public places, the markings made outside shops to ensure social distancing seemed unnecessary.
This unexpected scenario at public places, and at the border checkposts and vital junctions in various towns, helped the police personnel heave a sigh of relief. “The present situation with six COVID-19 positive cases has clearly made the public avoid moving out unless absolutely required,” said M. Rajasekhar, Circle Inspector (Nagari rural), overseeing the checkposts on the inter-State border with Tamil Nadu on the Nagari-Kancheepuram road.
