After 8 Devotees Test Positive In Tarn Taran, Amritsar Authorities Call Back 179 Nanded Pilgrims To Test For Covid-19

In a major case of negligence, Amritsar authorities are calling 178 pilgrims who had been brought back to the city on Sunday, to test them for Coronavirus.

File Photo: AP/PTI(AP21-04-2020_000142B)

Amritsar: In a major case of negligence, Amritsar authorities are calling 178 pilgrims who had been brought back to the city on Sunday, to test them for Coronavirus. Recently, several pilgrims have been brought back by the Punjab government from Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra's Nanded. The pilgrims had gone to Hazur Sahib in March and had gotten stuck there due to the nationwide lockdown. Many buses were deployed to bring these people back to their homes. Ideally, the people who have been in a huge crowd all this while and thereby could have been exposed to Covid-19, should have been tested for the infection and put in state quarantine immediately after they reached their native station. But the due precaution was not followed and these 179 pilgrims who reached Amritsar on Sunday were asked to be in a 14-day home quarantine after a normal screening. In a normal screening, healthcare providers usually check the body temperature of a person and inquire if they are experiencing certain health issues or have any common symptoms. This is not sufficient considering the case in point and also how recently in many cases, infected people were found out to be completely asymptomatic. After the negligence came to light and 8 asymptomatic corona positive cases were reported from Tarn Taran, the Amritsar administration realized the possible blunder and has jolted into action. It is now seeking the help of police to trace the pilgrims and get their tests done. Similar negligence is reported to have happened with the people brought back to Ludhiana and there too, a plan of action is being discussed. However, this has caused a major health concern and raised serious questions on how this was allowed to happen. Who will be held responsible if the people in home quarantine test positive for coronavirus and have ended up infecting those around them? The test results will perhaps now decide the future course of action. Watch: Covid-19: Negligence by Punjab govt in handling devotees