61-year-old Washim man is Vid’s new +ve case

Nagpur: A 61-year-old man from a village in Malegaon tehsil of Washim district was tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.
The man, whose information was shared by the state government as an attendee of Tablighi Jamaat meet at Delhi, was identified by the local administration on April 1 and his samples were sent to Nagpur the next day after admitting him to the district hospital.
Washim’s district collector Hrishikesh Modak said that the administration is tracing travel history of this person.
“The man is claiming that he never attended Tablighi Jamaat congregation. He says that he went back to his village Mendshi from Badnera railway station from where he was supposed to board a train for Delhi. But, we need to confirm his claims,” the collector said.
The man has been admitted to the isolation ward of district hospital in Washim. His family members and neighbours from his native village have also been admitted to the same hospital as they are his high-risk contacts. Their samples were also sent to Nagpur on Friday.
Divisional deputy director (health services) for Akola division Dr Riyaz Faruqui said that the person is asymptomatic. “The man is showing no symptoms like fever or cough. He doesn’t have co-morbidities like diabetes or hypertension. As per his claims, he changed his plans at Badnera station and came back instead of attending the Delhi congregation,” he said. Still, as he has been detected Covid-19 positive, the administration is now confirming his travel history.
“Our priority is to check close contacts of the patient and detect if any of them is positive,” said Washim civil surgeon Dr Ambadas Sontakke. If any of his family member or close contacts test positive, it will be the first case of rural transmission of Covid-19 in Maharashtra. All earlier cases have been detected at cities and district headquarters only.
The health department of Washim swung into action immediately and started door-to-door contamination drive in Mendshi village. If the patient’s claim is to be believed, his source of infection must be somewhere between Washim and Badnera railway station only.
Vidarbha region now has 25 cases with one death and seven being recovered and discharged. Positive patients are admitted in Nagpur, Gondia, Buldhana and now in Washim.