Nanded pilgrims: Four test positive for Covid-19 in Ambala

AMBALA: Out of 11 Nanded returned pilgrims of Ambala district, 4 test positive in their second Covid-19 test on Wednesday, told Ambala civil surgeon Dr Kuldeep Singh.
Earlier these 11 pilgrims were tested for Covid-19 after their arrival via Patiala, Punjab at Ambala City on April 30 and all of them had tested negative on May 1, told Dr Kuldeep Singh.
Dr Kuldeep said, “Out of 11 Nanded pilgrims of Ambala, 4 tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.The four patients include two females (aged 9 and 70), and two males (aged 42 and 75). Since their arrival in Ambala is on April 29 late night, all 11 pilgrims are kept at a quarantine facility here. Initially, we conducted their Covid-19 tests on April 30 and all of them had tested negative on May 1. Secondly, we took their samples recently, now 4 pilgrims tested positive and 6 negative on Wednesday. Report of one among them is awaited.”
Sources told, the four Ambala pilgrims are from Akbarpur village in Naraingarh block of the district, and are members of a single-family. Sources from Akbarpur village told, "Six members of a family had left for Nanded pilgrimage on March 17 before the lockdown and they were scheduled to return on April 24. Out of six, four tested positive on Wednesday and two among them, including a 5-year-old boy and a 40-year-old woman, tested negative for Covid-19."
Dr Kuldeep said, “Since their arrival in Ambala, these Nanded pilgrims have not come in contact with any person from the district as they are quarantined at a facility. There is no risk of Covid-19 spread from these four patients. Now we have isolated them at the Covid-19 hospital for further treatment.”
As per the information, these 11 pilgrims of Ambala are from among first 39 returnees of Haryana and Delhi who had reached Ambala on April 29 late night via Patiala. Among the 39 to reach first, 11 are from Ambala, 7 each from Delhi and Kaithal, 5 from Yamunanagar, 3 each from Karnal and Fatehabad, 2 from Kurukshetra and 1 from Pinjore in Panchkula.
Haryana Nanded pilgrims’ positive total now 16
When asked about the statewide data of the total number of Nanded returnees, Haryana health department director-general health services (DGHS) Suraj Bhan Kamboj told, “We have not compiled particular data of the Nanded pilgrims, their list is shared to the respective civil surgeons at the district-level by the police department. The number can be obtained from the civil surgeons.”
One being asked the same question, Haryana law and order ADGP Navdeep Singh Virk told, “No such data has been compiled in Haryana.”
TOI contacted the civil surgeons in all 22 districts of Haryana, and according to officially disclosed numbers, "So far, around 88 Nanded pilgrims returned to the state who have been tested for Covid-19 by their concerned district health departments. Out of these 88; 11 are from Ambala, 19 from Fatehabad, 15 from Karnal, 7 from Kaithal, 2 from Kurukshetra, 2 from Panchkula, 18 from Sirsa and 14 from Yamunanagar, out of which 16 tested positive which is 18.18% positive cases.
Up to Wednesday, among these 88 Nanded returned pilgrims, 5 tested Covid-19 positive at Karnal, 4 each at Ambala and Fatehabad, 2 at Sirsa, and 1 at Yamunanagar.