Low population density, multi-pronged plan help south Malwa dists check virus
FARIDKOT : Even as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Punjab, seven districts of southern Malwa — Faridkot, Bathinda, Moga, Fazilka, Muktsar, Ferozepur and Mansa — are less affected by the pandemic as only 39 (5.6%) of a total of 717 active cases in the state are from the belt.
Officials claim that more than 70% of patients in these districts were those who returned from other states and the rest were their immediate contacts such as family members.
A relatively less population density, a multi-pronged strategy adopted by the authorities and strict compliance of norms by people helped curb the virus spread, say officials. As per the state health department’s bulletin, only 419 (13.3%) of a total of 3,140 positive cases reported in the state have been reported from the seven districts.
Moreover, 90% (380) of those found positive in these districts have recovered. Only one death was reported in the belt from Ferozepur.
State Covid-19 spokesperson Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said apart from the efforts put by district administrations and the health department, another major reason behind the low spread of virus is less population density as the belt is predominantly rural.
“The number of international travellers visiting these districts was relatively quite low. Amritsar, Jalandhar and Mohali are big cities and a lot of people came back there from high-risk areas, including abroad,” he added.
“Most of the infected patients were with travel history. We put more than 2,000 Nanded-returnees and labourers from other districts in institutional quarantine. Faridkot is among the top districts when it comes to collecting samples per million population,” Faridkot deputy commissioner Kumar Saurabh Raj said.
Fazilka deputy commissioner Arvind Pal Singh Sandhu claimed that a lot of effort and planning went into ensuring that local transmission does not start in the district, which also borders Rajasthan. “More than 90% positive patients came from other states,” the deputy commissioner further said.
Fazilka senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harjeet Singh said only pass holders and good carriers are allowed to enter the district from Rajasthan. “As cases are increasing in Rajasthan, we are maintaining strict surveillance on the state border by covering 25 small entry points.