Second Jhelum village sealed
Dina tehsil administration shifts 12 members of a family to quarantine centre
PHOTO: EXPRESS
JHELUM:
The Jhelum district administration on Sunday sealed a second village in the district after reports emerged that 12 members of a family, who had returned from the UK recently, were suspected to have contracted the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
The Miranabad village, located in Dina Tehsil of Jhelum, was cordoned off by heavy contingents of the police force and any kind of movement to and from the area was prohibited.
This is the second village in the district to be sealed after authorities had sealed another village in the nearby Sohawa tehsil.
Sohawa Tehsil Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sharjeel Shahid said Shahida Bibi, who had returned from the United Kingdom (UK), complained of feeling sick soon after attending a funeral. She was taken to a hospital in Rawalpindi where doctors suspected that she could be a Covid-19 patient and collected swab samples from all three family members for subsequent testing.
While the test results were still being compiled, Shahidha passed away.
The villagers and relatives violated the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the district administration regarding a funeral amid the coronavirus outbreak under which no more than five members are allowed to attend a funeral. However, as per local customs, the mourners hugged the deceased’s husband and nephew to express condolence.
Shahid said that as soon as they learnt of the suspected patient and that she was being buried, the police and administration officials rushed to the was being buried in a graveyard in the Akra Mora village. He added that when they reached the spot, the funeral rites were underway, having begun half an hour ahead of schedule.
He contended that the participants of the funeral wanted to avert the government’s restrictions on public gatherings.
Later, the deceased, her spouse and nephew all tested positive for the coronavirus. The district administration had sealed Akra Mora village to prevent the virus spread and moved 24 people, who came in physical contact with the infected, to quarantine centre.
The AC added that several people had hugged the family of the deceased to express their condolence. Hence, they sealed the village to prevent the virus from spreading.
The AC said that they have, so far, completed screening of some 160 villagers while 24 close relatives of the deceased have been shifted to isolation wards. However, he said that no further confirmed case has emerged thus far.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2020.
The Jhelum district administration on Sunday sealed a second village in the district after reports emerged that 12 members of a family, who had returned from the UK recently, were suspected to have contracted the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
The Miranabad village, located in Dina Tehsil of Jhelum, was cordoned off by heavy contingents of the police force and any kind of movement to and from the area was prohibited.
This is the second village in the district to be sealed after authorities had sealed another village in the nearby Sohawa tehsil.
Sohawa Tehsil Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sharjeel Shahid said Shahida Bibi, who had returned from the United Kingdom (UK), complained of feeling sick soon after attending a funeral. She was taken to a hospital in Rawalpindi where doctors suspected that she could be a Covid-19 patient and collected swab samples from all three family members for subsequent testing.
While the test results were still being compiled, Shahidha passed away.
The villagers and relatives violated the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the district administration regarding a funeral amid the coronavirus outbreak under which no more than five members are allowed to attend a funeral. However, as per local customs, the mourners hugged the deceased’s husband and nephew to express condolence.
Shahid said that as soon as they learnt of the suspected patient and that she was being buried, the police and administration officials rushed to the was being buried in a graveyard in the Akra Mora village. He added that when they reached the spot, the funeral rites were underway, having begun half an hour ahead of schedule.
He contended that the participants of the funeral wanted to avert the government’s restrictions on public gatherings.
Later, the deceased, her spouse and nephew all tested positive for the coronavirus. The district administration had sealed Akra Mora village to prevent the virus spread and moved 24 people, who came in physical contact with the infected, to quarantine centre.
The AC added that several people had hugged the family of the deceased to express their condolence. Hence, they sealed the village to prevent the virus from spreading.
The AC said that they have, so far, completed screening of some 160 villagers while 24 close relatives of the deceased have been shifted to isolation wards. However, he said that no further confirmed case has emerged thus far.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2020.