Covid-19: IPS officer, his wife quarantined in Patna

PATNA: A Jharkhand cadre IPS officer and his wife have been quarantined for 14 days in the special ward at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) soon after they returned from their personal trip to Italy, which is one of the worst coronavirus affected countries in the world.
The officer is posted as superintendent of police (SP) in one a Jharkhand district. His wife is a senior resident doctor in a Patna hospital.
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A senior health department official, preferring anonymity, told TOI that the couple had already stayed in a city hotel after landing at Patna airport on Saturday after reaching India from Italy.
“A senior IAS officer from Bihar had been informed about their trip to Italy and arrival in Patna. Health officers were asked to locate and quarantine them immediately,” he said and added that the couple had yet not shown any symptom of coronavirus.
When asked, Patna civil surgeon Dr Raj Kishore Chaudhary on Sunday said samples of the couple would be taken on Monday for testing at RMRI. “Reports are expected to be received by Tuesday,” Chaudhary said. He said even if the test reports remain negative for coronavirus infection, the couple would remain in quarantine at PMCH for 14 days as precaution.
In reply to a query, Chaudhary said none else, including the driver who had driven their vehicle from the airport, had been quarantined as the couple did not show any symptom of the virus.
“The main reason for quarantining them is that both returned from Italy, which is a highly affected zone with respect to spread of Covid-19,” he said.