KOLKATA: KMC will conduct an intensive disinfection drive in a north Kolkata neighbourhood off Bidhan Sarani on Thursday aimed at not only to eliminate any trace of novel coronavirus but also to dispel fear among residents after six people from a family, who had attended a 70-year-old woman’s funeral on Tuesday, were quarantined at the New Town facility on Wednesday.
The woman, who had been admitted to an Amherst Street hospital with heart ailments and displayed Covid-19-like symptoms, died on Tuesday and her body was brought to the locality. Several relatives assembled to pay their respects.
A list of 15 more people who had reportedly come in contact with the deceased, either just before her death or after, has been drawn up. They include relatives who went for the last rites on Tuesday evening and health workers at the hospital. “We will sanitize the area to reassure people that all is fine,” said local councillor Mohammed Jasimuddin.
KMC’s solid waste management wing will take up the disinfection drive at each house, including the building, where the deceased lived. A civic medical team will also visit the neighbourhood to carry out a fever survey. “We will check whether anyone in the locality has fever or respiratory troubles. If we find such people, we will send them to KMC clinics for a check-up,” he said.
Jasimuddin confirmed the state health department had promptly sent a team to the locality on Wednesday morning and six of the family members were sent to the quarantine centre. “The health team did not waste time and addressed the issue by quarantining the family members. The KMC will cleanse the locality on Thursday,” he said.
Administrative sources and those in the central division of police said as a fairly large number of people had turned up for the cremation, more people needed to be quarantined. The Jorasanko-Amherst Street being a densely populated area, both KMC and police have asked the son of the deceased to prepare a list of those who came in contact. “We knew her swab samples had been sent for test but weren’t aware whether she tested positive or not. Only a handful went for the cremation,” a relative told TOI.
Health and KMC officials are keeping an eye on are4as, like Bowbazar, Amherst Street, College Street, on finding three Covid-19 patients there, the latest being an assistant sub-inspector.