13 flyers quarantined late in night, released within 24 hrs

Nagpur: Late on Sunday night, Sachin Singh (name changed) woke up after his door bell rang at around 1am. A couple of men at his door told him they were from NMC health department. He was told to collect whatever he can in just 10 minutes as they were going to take him to an institutional quarantine facility.

On noticing policemen in two jeeps outside his compound, Singh went to his room, took his clothes and a bedsheet, informed his wife and left with the men.

Beside Singh, there were around 12 others who were brought to the Central Nursing College at Lonara, on the city’s outskirts, till dawn on Monday. All of them had returned to the city from various countries via Mumbai in March. A co-flyer had tested positive some days ago, so the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) administration decided to place them under 14-day quarantine at an institutional facility.

By Monday evening, the NMC reviewed its decision and allowed them to go home even as an international flyer — a Chandrapur resident quarantined at MLA hostel — tested positive.

NMC additional medical officer health Dr Praveen Gantawar told TOI that they were already in self-isolation and have spent considerable time at home. “We have counselled them to isolate themselves for another 14 days,” he said. Throat swabs were not taken but only a medical examination was done.

The flyers were also stamped for home quarantine upon their return from foreign trip, as per the state health ministry guidelines. Some of them were even tested earlier.

Earlier in the day, these flyers had questioned the move to quarantine them at Lonara with over 40 high risk contacts of the cap seller from Takia, who was tested positive two days ago. The cap seller, who is city’s 17th Covid-19 patient, had spent over 20 days without any symptoms since his return from Delhi last month.

The flyers feared contracting the virus while their stay at the facility which they alleged lacked proper isolation facility. “We all have been shoved in a common hall. All are using common toilets, wash basins and bathroom. We didn’t get a mug or bucket too. I thank myself to have lifted the bedsheet while leaving home,” Singh told TOI earlier in the day.

The flyers demanded that they either be shifted to some other place or allowed to go back to their homes where they had maintained social distancing. “If we are found infected, how can it be known whether we contracted it here or in the country from where we arrived? If we are asked to stay at home it will be easier to trace the infection source in case anyone tests positive,” said a woman flyer.

Anees Ahmed, adviser of Mehmuda Shikshan & Mahila Gramin Vikas Bahuudeshia Sanstha, which runs the group of institutions at Lonara, said that villagers didn’t allow his staff members to report for work which led to problems. “We had all the arrangements but no manpower to render service. It took some time to arrange around 80 workers. Now, everyone is being looked after properly,” he said.