200 of 818 Sikh pilgrims test +ve for Covid on return from Pakistan

INFECTED PILGRIMS PUT UNDER HOME ISOLATION, WHILE OTHERS WILL OBSERVE 14-DAY HOME QUARANTINE

Around 200 pilgrims of the 818-member Sikh jatha that returned from Pakistan on Thursday tested positive for Covid-19, Amritsar civil surguen Dr Charanjit Singh told reporters.

The jatha had gone to Pakistan on a 12-day pilgrimage to celebrate Baisakhi at Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Hasan Abdal, and pay obeisance at other historical gurdwaras.

However, the figure released by district administration late evening created confusion as it put the number of infected pilgrims at 99.

After release of this figure, no official attended to the calls. As they crossed over to Indian territory, teams of Punjab health department organised a testing camp at the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP).

Health officials said most the pilgrims were asymptomatic. “Those infected have been put under home isolation, while others will be in 14-day home quarantine as per the guidelines,” said Himanshu Aggarwal, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Amritsar.

SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said the pilgrims should follow the guidelines of the health department.

Misbehaved with health workers

Sources said some of the pilgrims who tested positive but were asymptomatic confronted the health officials, trashing the ‘positive’ reports as “wrong”. Women health workers deployed at the camp said the pilgrims misbehaved and manhandled them.

“They did not have patience. After all, the testing takes time. They blamed us for positive report. We demand FIR against such people. In future, we need security for such work,” they said

The civil surguen confirmed the development, adding one of the pilgrims even tore the record of test results and PPE kit of a doctor.

“We have taken serious note of such behaviour and asked the officials concerned to take action.”