Gujarat: Amreli to screen people entering from Surat, Ahmedabad, Mumbai

Oak said that Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) buses, which either originate from Surat, Ahmedabad and Mumbai or pass through them, but do not enter Amreli through Chavand check-post, would be stopped at Vanda checkpost in Savarkundla taluka and Dungar in Rajula taluka for health screening of passengers. “No passenger coming from Surat, Ahmedabad and Mumbai shall get down from their vehicle after entering Amreli till the screening of their health is completed,” added the notification which will remain effective till the end of this month.

As of Wednesday, Amreli district recorded 197 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Of these, 91 are active cases while an equal number of patients have recovered. The infection has also claimed 15 lives in Amreli so far.

Due to rigorous implementation of the lockdown and the cooperation of its residents, Amreli had remained untouched by the pandemic till May 13 even as the contagious disease had covered all remaining 32 districts of the state.

“As part of efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus and keeping in mind the rising number of cases, intense contact tracing of these cases was undertaken and it was noticed that the majority of those who tested positive had come from Surat district, Ahmedabad district or Mumbai. Therefore, it is necessary to screen the vehicles and passengers coming from Surat, Ahmedabad and Mumbai,” the DM said in his notification.

Talking to The Indian Express on Wednesday, Oak said the notification was, at a level discriminatory. “But then all regulations related to Covid-19 containment are somewhat discriminatory. Nonetheless, they are the ones needed now. Our objective is to make early detection of cases so that there is no local spread of infection and provide timely medical treatment so that mortality remains the lowest. This can be done by screening people coming coming from places where cases are more,” he said.

Incidentally, after Ahmedabad, Surat has emerged as the new hotbed of Covid-19 infection in the state. Mumbai in Maharashtra is also battling the viral infection for more than three months now. Thousands of people in these three cities are returning to their native places in Amreli in an attempt to escape the virus, as well as due to the closure of factories and business there.