Malegaon civic boss is positive

Was sitting with Health Minister Tope when the report came

In a big jolt in the fight against coronavirus, Malegaon Municipal Commissioner Trimbak Kasar has tested positive. According to officials of Kasar's office, he is currently asymptomatic and stable and under quarantine at a bungalow recently allotted to him.

When the confirmation of his being corona positive came, Kasar was sitting with Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope and Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse. Now, questions are being asked whether he has passed this infection to the ministers or not?

Tope has thus far led the battle against corona from the front, visiting the hubs -

Mumbai, Nashik, Pune.

Incidentally, Malegaon is the 3rd worst corona-hit city in the State after Mumbai and Pune. It has so far reported over 550 corona cases and over 30 deaths. Tope has 'adopted' Malegon in mission mode and resolved to render it Corona-free. He was in the town to review the efforts with minister and legislator of Malegaon, Dadasaheb Bhuse. When the news trickled in of him having tested positive, Kasar abruptly left the meeting and went out of the hall.

Apart from Kasar, two others in his contact --Vaibhav Londhe (27), Assistant Municipal Commissioner (removal of encroachment/sanitation), and a photographer with MMC, Abasaheb Ahire (43), tested positive on Wednesday. The duo too have been quarantined in an MMC bungalow.

According to Deputy Commissioner of MMC, Nitin Kapadnis, who is in charge of formulating the containment plan and acquiring properties

for turning them into quarantine centres, Kasar had reported symptoms last week, following which his swab samples were collected. " On May 7, he complained of fever and throat pain. We immediately collected his swab samples. However, later symptoms seemed to have vanished. His results arrived on Wednesday afternoon. Following this, he has been put under home quarantine," said Kapadnis. "We will be collecting and sending his swab samples again after three-four days. We hope that everything will be all right", he added.

Kasar (53) assumed charge as Commissioner MMC on April 28 -- 20 days after the Coronavirus outbreak in the city. He was earlier posted in Amravati. Kishor Borde, the commissioner before Kasar, had gone on medical leave; therefore, Kasar was transferred from Amravati to Malegaon.

He was staying in a hotel room until Tuesday and allotted a bungalow four days back; his family had joined him, following which they shifted to the bungalow on Tuesday. " We will also screen his family for symptoms," Kapadnis informed.

According to the civic body sources, Kasar contracted the infection through one of his associates.

Apart from the three, including Kasar, swab tests of two other officials have been collected, after they complained of chest pain and other mild symptoms; they include an Assistant Commissioner and a Deputy Commissioner of tax assessment depart

ment of the MMC. "We have quarantined them too, until their swab test results arrive," said Kapadnis.