As many as 20 children tested positive for the disease on Saturday, with eight cases reported from Dadu Majra, 15 cases from Mani Majra, six cases from Ram Darbar and rest from across the city. (Representational)Residents of Chathaa Nanhera village in Sangrur district Saturday said they will not get tested for coronavirus if any government health teanm visits them. They also made an announcement in this regard through the local gurdwara’s loudspeaker.
This happened a day after two samples out of 60 taken from the village came returned positive and the patients refused to accompany the health team to the Covid Care Centre (CCC) at Ghabdan village. Both patients were asymptomatic and wanted that they should be either isolated at home or at the village school.
Rann Singh Chatha, a leader of Bharti Kisan Union (Dakaunda) from the village, said,”The Covid Care Centre at Ghabdan village has no basic facilities. We often see videos of patients complaining about food and lack of care. Why should asymptomatic patients be dumped there. When VIPs can be home isolated, then why can’t they isolate villagers at their homes?”
“Our village school should be used as an isolation centre. We can at least provide the patients with proper food. Hence, we have decided not to get tests done,” added a villager.
On Friday, when health team had gone to take the two positive patients to the Covid Care Centre, they had protested and refused to go with them. They were supported by other villagers. Though both patients were taken to CCC, Ghabdan later in the day, on Saturday an announcement was done through village Gurdwara that no one will now get coronavirus tests done and will gherao the health teams. The message was circulated on social media.
Ramvir, deputy commissioner, Sangrur said, “The village falls in Sunam constituency, hence Sunam SDM, and local police team went to village and we convinced the locals that creating isolation centres at every village school is not possible. We to,d them that if the house has a separate room with attached bathroom, we will isolate asymptomatic patient at home only. However, in villages attached bathroom is an issue. Now villagers have agreed to get tests done.”