In one such instance, Punjab's SBS Nagar and Ropar district froze their positive cases count, did contact tracing and testing, hence, declared their areas as non-hotspots.
But now, the question arises that what has turned Jalandhar into a coronavirus hotspot? Were the health authorities not aware of the consequences of the disease? Are the lives of people not important to them?
Jalandhar falls under the Doaba region of Punjab which hails a significant number of NRIs annually. The first case of COVID-19 in the district was reported from the Phillaur's Virk village who had contact with NRI Ragi Baldev Singh.
Reportedly, Singh was a resident of SBS Nagar, who had returned from Italy and after showing symptoms of the contagious disease he went to one of the hospitals of Jalandhar where the health authorities did not pay heed to the sensitivity of the case. He came in contact with his relatives and friends, who were later found positive to the disease.
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Another case in the mainland was reported from the Nijatam Nagar, where a 60-year-old lady was found positive for the coronavirus who did not have any travel history. Her son and grand-son also fell prey to the disease and were isolated for 14 days. In this sequence, the cases in the city began to grow enormously.
Although the number was alarming, the health authorities did not come up with stringent measures to contain the spread of the disease at the initial level. The officials failed to freeze the number, did not trace and tested the contacts of the infected patients. But, after the district administration deployed their teams along-with the health authorities contact tracing and testing came into effect.
So far, Jalandhar has recorded 60 patients but the contacts traced tally stand at 600. The district on the rank of contact-tracing is at 5th place in the state, the chain has not been broken yet. With a lesser number of tracing and testing of contacts, signifies the inability of the health authorities.
If the authorities could have recognised the sensitivity of the disease, Jalandhar would have been considered in the Green Zone.
Officials have now improved the figures of tracing and testing after 12 media persons belonging to vernacular daily newspaper reported positive for the COVID-19. With the infected media persons, 6 of their contacts were also tested positive, other reports are awaited.
Among aforesaid patients, eminent political figures were also found positive for the coronavirus and are under quarantine. Mayor Jagdish Raja's SD Harpreet Walia has been found corona positive and is isolated for 14 days. Following which, Mayor Raja and MLA Rajinder Beri were quarantined by the health department.
In the latest development, Congress leader Deepak Sharma was tested COVID-19 positive. His father had already succumbed to the disease. Other 6 contacts of Sharma which are Counselors, at first refused to give blood samples for testing due to which the matter reached to the higher authorities. Civil and Police administration team of Jalandhar intervened into the matter, counselled them and collected samples. All of these have been found negative for the infection. Thus, it reveals that not only layman but a politician is also afraid of getting checked.
Jalandhar Municipal Corporation office has been closed now as several meetings were conducted there. The office has been sanitized but Corporation Commissioner Diprava Lakra has shut working for a few days.
Remote areas of the district are more vulnerable to the disease, health authorities and police administration must enforce tough punishment for the curfew violators in lieu to contain the spread of disease.