DC Girish Dayalan and SSP Avneet Kondal
MOHALI DEPUTY Commissioner, his wife who is Senior Superintendent of Police of Fatehgarh Sahib and a Panjab University student who returned from Italy have been quarantined for 14 days in view of coronavirus.
DC Girish Dayalan and his wife SSP Avneet Kondal have been quarantined for Covid-19 after they returned from Italy and Switzerland earlier this month. The couple have to be under observation for 14 days as is made essential by the Punjab government.
The DC and his wife had gone on ex-India leave on February 25. They had gone to Italy and Switzerland before landing in India on March 3.
The Punjab government had issued an advisory on March 6 saying that all the officials who had gone on ex-India leave would be quarantined for 14 days for coronavirus as a precaution. The advisory also stated that the officers returning from the ex-India leave must be asked to go on quarantine leave for 14 days. The advisory also said that the ex-India leave must be granted only in unavoidable circumstances.
A senior official said on condition of anonymity that after returning from the leave the DC himself asked the medical authorities for quarantining themselves, following which he was placed under observation for 14 days.
At Panjab University, Vice-Chancellor Raj Kumar constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Prof Shankarji Jha, Dean University Instruction, regarding the case of PU student on Wednesday.
“The said case was discussed in detail and it was informed that the said student who returned from Italy was sent immediately to PGIMER on March 9 for the relevant check-up. The above student came back and informed that due to lack of evident symptoms, PGIMER sent him back without any check-up,” it was stated by Panjab University.
Professor Deepak Kapur, chairperson of UBS, immediately sent the student to Dr D Dhawan, CMO, PU, for granting him leave for two weeks. The student applied for leave to CMO who advised him to be immediately quarantined for 14 days with effect from March 9 as per WHO guidelines.
The student was thoroughly checked at Delhi International Airport on his landing. A team checked him at his home and found him without any symptoms.
Thereafter, the PU CMO immediately contacted Dr Varinder Nagpal, Medical Superintendent-cum-Joint Director, Health Services, UT, and informed him about the suspected case from Italy at PU.
Later, a letter in this regard was written to the Medical Superintendent-cum-Joint Director. The MS in his reply said the patient should be monitored for any clinical sign and symptom, and said that the student be home quarantined for 14 days.
Dr Nagpal said in case, the patient develops any symptoms of sore throat, running nose, fever and difficulty in breathing, the student can contact the emergency services being run in Sector 16 hospital.
Prof Karamjeet Singh, PU Registrar, said that PU has taken precautionary measure in this regard and other students have also been advised to stay alert about any such symptom and inform the authorities immediately.
Eight-member team returns from Australia
An eight-member team of a Chandigarh-based company returned from Australia. The company had arranged a check-up for them at GMSH, Sector 16, in view of coronavirus. However, the company officials claimed that the staff did not take samples and is just seeking a self-declaration of not having fever, cough and cold. Company officials then advised all of them to work from home for at least 14 days.
Tests of two patients negative
An adult (male resident of Chandigarh) with travel history to Dubai was admitted to CD ward of PGI on Tuesday.
His sample was taken. As per information from Department of Virology, PGIMER, his sample is negative. A middle-aged symptomatic male (Chandigarh resident) with travel history to Saudi Arabia was admitted to CD ward of PGI on Wednesday. As per report from Department of Virology, PGIMER, he is negative.