FOUR COVID +VE PATIENTS TRY TO FLEE TO UP, HELD FROM AIRPORT

THANE: Four Covid-19 patients, who tried to flee Thane,were detained moments before they attempted to board a flight to Lucknow on Thursday, owing to the efforts of an alert civic official.

“Kausa’s health officer Hemangi Ghode tracked the four with the help of police and airport authorities, despite the family trying to mislead her,” said RT Kendre, officer on special Covid-19 duty.

The four are family members of a 54-year-old resident of Kausa, Mumbra, who had tested positive for the virus last month. The man died on June 25, after which his 50-year-old wife and three sons – aged 27, 25 and 23 – were also tested. Their reports cam positive on July 1. “On July 2, I made a call to the family, asking them which hospital would they want to get admitted to. They named a facility in Andheri, so I got suspicious and decided to keep a track on them,” Ghode said.

The family told Ghode that they are leaving home by 9am for the hospital. “Accordingly, I sent a team to check on them. At 11am, the team found their door locked. When I called the Andheri hospital to inquire if the family had been admitted, the authorities there said they had no information about them. Around 11.45am, when I called one of sons, he did not answer. So I asked the surveillance officer to inquire in the nearby areas and also alerted the police as well as the railway and airport authorities. Following this, the airport surveillance team traced the family through the Aarogya Setu app when they were about to board the flight and alerted TMC,” Ghode said.

Ghode then informed Mumbra police, after which the family was brought back and admitted to a private Thane hospital. Senior inspector M Kad said, “We have not registered a case against the family yet but will take action after their recovery.”

When HT contacted the family, they refused to comment.