Returnees behind latest wave in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Punjab has been hit by another wave of Covid-19 cases of people stranded in other parts of the country and aboard testing positive on return to their home state.
This is seventh surge after the wave of cases caused by pilgrims subdued after May 10. A total of 1,129 pilgrims from Nanded in Maharashtra had tested positive for Covid-19.
The current wave accounts for about 32% of total positive cases reported between May 11 and June 3.During this period, 490 new cases had surfaced, of which 156 had the source of infection outside Punjab. About 55% of these cases were reported in the last six days.
Since the beginning of May, government allowed locals stuck outside the state to return after registration. Of the 92,002 people who approached the government to return so far, 82,801 were from within India and 9,201 from other countries.
As many as 42,672 persons – 38,831 from within the country and 3,841 from outside --- have returned to Punjab and 839 of them have tested positive. While 23 returnees tested positive on May 29, 15 such cases came to light on June 2. Similarly, 13 locals each who returned were found to be infected with the virus, which has claimed 47 lives, on June 1 and June 3. The number of such people testing positive is expected to surge as about 50,000 registered locals are yet to return.
Prior to the fresh wave, the state witnessed six different spells of cases. The first wave was related to people coming from aboard, followed by surge in number of cases caused by members of Tablighi Jamaat and then cases from Jawaharpur in Mohali district. Cases related to Jalandhar-based vernacular newspaper and hookah party in Rajpura also contributed to the spike in overall cases.
According to norms, people entering the state are tested and those found positive are sent to state-run health facilities while asymptomatic passengers who test negative are taken into institutional quarantine -- government and hotel – for which they have to pay. They are tested on the fifth day and if negative, are allowed to go home after completion of seven days of institutional quarantine and asked to stay in home quarantine.
Entry to people stuck outside is allowed only through notified entry points while all other entries to the state have been sealed. The move is aimed at ensuring that everyone entering the state is medically examined. The state has also devised a mechanism to track people who sneak into the state through unauthorised points.
To identify such people, the village sarpanch and numberdars have been authorised to inform the health authorities about such persons when they reach their village. In case of municipal committees and municipal corporations, the municipal councillors have been entrusted with this responsibility in their respective jurisdiction. Citizens have been also empowered to inform about such persons by sharing their photographs on Cova mobile application.
Punjab health department spokesperson for Covid-19, Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said the government had made an elaborate plan for tracking the heavy influx of people coming from outside the state.
“People with the travel history being tested positive do not pose a threat to the community as they are being isolated and contained at the beginning,” he said.