COVID-19: Rourkela residents in home quarantine face discrimination

ROURKELA: With rise in Covid-19 positive cases, most of which are asymptomatic, the local administration has allowed infected persons to remain in home quarantine.

However, insensitivity of the city’s residents towards such persons has emerged as a cause of concern.

A 32-year-old man from Sector C of Bondamunda, who returned from the USA with his family, had a harrowing time after he was advised by the administration to remain in home quarantine.

The man reached Mumbai on a ship on July 3 and after testing negative, arrived here on a bus two days later.

After his swab samples were collected, he was allowed to remain in home quarantine.

The man asked his family members to arranged a separate rented accommodation for him but a couple of locals vehemently opposed the move following which he stayed at a hotel in the city.

As his samples tested positive, he was sent to BPUT Covid-19 care centre till July 15 and then again allowed to remain in home quarantine.

This time too he faced stiff opposition from the residents of Bondamunda. However, he managed to shift to a rented house in the locality.

Another resident of Bondamunda, whose daughter arrived from Japan three months back, had to undergo a similar ordeal.

Even as his daughter was staying in home quarantine, someone spread rumour that she had tested positive for the virus.

The man had a tough time explaining the truth to people around him.

Such instances have also been reported from a few other areas after addresses of people tested positive for the virus was entered incorrectly by the data entry operators.

Meanwhile, Rourkela ADM Aboli Sunil Naravane appealed people not to create trouble for those allowed to remain in home quarantine.