Three in Chamba test positive after meeting infected trucker

DHARAMSHALA: Three people, who disregarded social distancing norms and met a Covid-19 patient over drinks, tested positive for the coronavirus disease in Chamba on Sunday.

Chamba deputy commissioner Vivek Bhatia said the trio had attended a party with a truckdriver who had tested positive for Covid-19 on May 6.

The driver had returned from

Baddi on April 30 with another labourer from his village, who has also tested positive.

The driver flouted home quarantine norms and met with friends and villagers, said Bhatia.

Authorities are tracing the patients’ contacts. Bhatia said four people, including the driver’s two-year-old daughter, had contracted the virus due to his negligence. “The number may further increase, as the three newly diagnosed patients have met others in the area,” he said.

Bhatia said this incident is also a lesson for others who don’t follow social distancing norms or jump quarantine.

“People coming from outside the state should religiously follow home quarantine norms. Even at home, they should stay away from immune-compromised, co-morbid and vulnerable family members,” he said. To deter people from jumping home quarantine, the district administration has also launched a naming and shaming campaign.