Villagers put family from Surat under home quarantine

Following this, some of their neighbours approached the village sarpanch and asked them to take prompt action.

Speaking with The Indian Express, the man, who arrived with his family from Surat said, “I am a diamond polisher. I was living in Amroli area of Surat along with my family. After the lockdown, there was no way to earn livelihood in Surat. Also, my parents were alone in the village.”

Bhaktiji Thakor, son of Sarpanch Zebarben, said, “We immediately contacted the family and got themselves issued a notice from the village panchayat. The panchayat asked them to get themselves checked from a local Public Health Centre (PHC) immediately and act according to the instructions of the health officials.”

Thakor said, “Before arrival of the family, one of their brothers in Surat had called me asking if they can come to village. I had specifically told them not to come during the lockdown. But despite this advice, they came to village.”

A health official from Linch PHC, Kiran Nayak, said that the family has been asked to stay under home quarantine for 14 days after their medical checkup.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Jayram Desai of Linch outpost of Laghnaj police station said, “We have been doing regular rounds in the village while asking the family to stay indoors (for 14 days).”

“We have got ourselves medically checked. The doctor has found us fit, but asked to stay indoors for 14 days. And we are also not moving out of the house. Even if we require some ration, milk or vegetable, we ask our cousin who is living next door,” said the diamond polisher from Surat.

Meanwhile, the villagers have stopped going towards the locality where the family is situated.

Ashokji Thakor, a former Sarpanch of the village, said, “People in the village are worried after arrival of this family. We have told them not to move out as the health officials have asked them to stay indoors for 14 days.”

Another villager Kaushik Parmar said, “Ideally, this family should not have come to the village from Surat where there are many positive cases of coronavirus. I have instructed my family members and my acquaintances not to go towards that locality, where the family is living.”

Chief District Health Officer of Mehsana C K Soni said that many people from urban areas have come to Mehsana and put under home quarantine.