173 Faridkot villages inspected, 8 samples sent for Covid-19 test

FARIDKOT: As residents of 173 villages of Faridkot district attended the Hola Mohalla celebrations, the health department teams have started inspecting these villages and have sent eight random samples of those who visited Anandpur Sahib between March 8 and 12 for testing of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

A 70-year-old resident of Pathlawa village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, who died due to Covid-19 last week, had attended the Hola Mohalla celebrations.

The district health department teams inspected Chandbaja, Arayan Wala and Pakka villages and collected the samples.

“The samples have been sent for testing to Patiala. We have home quarantined people who attended the religious gathering. We have not contained the villages so far, but advised all of them self isolation until the reports arrive. So far, our teams have not found anyone with Covid-19 symptoms,” said civil surgeon Dr Rajinder Kumar.

Senior superintendent of police Manjit Singh Dhesi said that the health department officials accompanied by police are collecting samples from the villages. So far, over 450 people with travel history have been home quarantined by the state health department. However, five suspected Covid-19 cases were reported in the district but all tested negative.

According to police sources, seven police personnel of Faridkot, who were deployed at Anandpur Sahib during the Hola Mohalla celebrations have appeared for testing, however, they were told to stay in home quarantine as a precautionary measure.

2K FOREIGN-RETURNED PEOPLE IDENTIFIED IN GURDASPUR

GURDASPUR : Gurdaspur district magistrate Mohammad Ishfaq on Monday said that as many as 2,079 people who recently came from foreign countries to their homes in the district have been identified.

He said all of them have been directed to quarantine themselves at their respective houses for 14 days.

Besides, 228 executive magistrates have been entrusted with the task of overseeing them.