Varanasi: 151 reach for screening, action likely against 50 absentees

VARANASI: Till the end of three-day time given to people returning from foreign countries to turn up at DDU district hospital for screening on Tuesday, only 141 of 191 such people mentioned in the list provided by the LBS International airport turned up.
The district administration decided to wait till Wednesday after which legal action will be taken against those who fail to turn up.
Talking to TOI, DM Kaushal Raj Sharma said, “We had received a list of 191 people who had returned from abroad after March 10, by the airport officials. Their turnout at district hospital had started from March 29 and till last date on March 31 a total of 141 reached there.”
He said that before starting legal action against the remaining 50 persons, the administration has decided to give time of one more day on Wednesday. The final review of these persons will be conducted on Thursday morning after which legal action would be initiated against them, he added.
As per the records of district hospital on March 29 a total of 21 foreign returnees had turned up at the hospital while 58 screened on March 30. Following detection of second Covid-19 positive case on March 28 evening, the administration had made the coronavirus test mandatory for all those who returned from abroad after March 10.
People who were already examined at district or BHU hospitals, had been exempted while those who had consulted private hospitals, were also asked to go for this test.
DM said that now focus is on all those persons, who have reached Varanasi from other states and districts after March 1. Thermal scanning of 45,299 had been conducted till Tuesday night, he said adding that about 139 persons from other states staying in different ashrams and other places had also been examined. Around 400 persons have been quarantined at shelter homes while 1,419 were asked for home quarantine.