Authorities scramble to trace and screen as cases spike in Ramganj

FIGHTING VIRUS Collector says 1,000 teams of health workers have fanned out across Jaipur to screen people

JAIPUR: In the last week, there has been a 10-fold jump in Covid-19 cases in Jaipur, necessitating a clampdown and screening of the entire 8 million population of Jaipur district, officials said.

Failure to stick to social distancing has led to Ramganj emerging as a Covid-19 hot spot. On March 26, a 45-year-old man from Ramganj tested positive but he disregarded social distancing norm, transmitting the disease to at least 90 relatives and friends, who, in turn, have put hundreds of others at risk, health officials said.

The man had returned from Oman via Dubai. He reached Delhi on March 12 and took a state roadways bus to Jaipur. Though he was asked to remain in home quarantine, he did not follow the advice and met his relatives and friends and even went t o a l o c a l mosque t o o f f e r prayers.

He was admitted to SMS Hospital on March 24 after developing symptoms and tested positive on March 26.

With 90 cases reported from Ramganj, health department authorities are busy in contact tracing and screening. Jaipur I chief medical and health officer Dr Narrottam Sharma said the entire 260,000 population of Ramganj is at risk and being screened.

Jaipur collector Jogaram said screening is being done across the district. He said over 1,000 teams of health workers have fanned out across Jaipur district and going door-to-door to screen the population.

He said around 1,850 people are in home quarantine and around 460 in institutional quarantine and isolation centres.

However, in a new worry for the authorities, three cases have been reported from outside the walled city area on Monday, one each from Bhatta Basti, Lal Kothi and Adarsh Nagar areas. Jogaram said curfew has been imposed in all three areas.

Till March 29, Jaipur had 10 cases. By March 30, the count had doubled to 20 as 10 relatives of the man also tested positive.

On March 31, only one case was reported but on April 1, 13 more relatives and contacts of the man tested positive, taking the total to 34. On April 2, the tally rose to 41, on April 3 it stood at 55.

With no new cases reported on April 4, the figure stayed at 55. On April 5, there was a spurt and the number of cases rose to 92 while on April 6, Jaipur recorded 100 cases.

On April 7, the figure rose again to 103 with 3 new cases reported.

After curfew was clamped in Ramganj, locals were not cooperating and maintaining social distance.

People still ventured out of their homes or congregated in groups in lanes or rooftops.

They also did not cooperate with health workers screening the area with some of them being attacked by residents.

Healt h minist e r Raghu Sharma had appealed to people to cooperate with authorities and not hide information regarding coronavirus from authorities to prevent community spread.

He also warned that attacks on health workers would not be tolerated and action would be taken against the perpetrators. So far, cases have been filed against two men at the Galta Gate police station for spreading fake information on Whatsapp against health workers.

With no let-up in cases, the administration has tightened curfew from April 2, revoking all relaxations.

The area was sealed, no vehicles were allowed in or out of the walled city, shops were shut and daily provisions are being provided to people by the local administration.

Fire engines are being used to spray disinfectant in the entire Ramganj area.