Co-travelers with Manipur girl test negative says CM; Urges people to cooperate with health staff

All the 11 persons who had been identified as co-passengers of the same aircraft boarded by North East's first Covid-19 positive patient reported in Manipur, are safe and tested negative, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb informed in a video message on Thursday.  

The Chief Minister said, “All the 11 persons were tested negative in the final reports that reached the health department today”.

Notably, a clarification from Deb had finally dispelled the cloud of speculations and rumors. Since the case was reported in Manipur and it was revealed that she landed in Agartala before reaching Manipur, a section of rumor mongers came on active and succeeded to create panic. 

Few fake social media profiles had also leaked the name of all the passengers which might have turned dangerous for them. 

Speaking to this reporter, a highly placed police officer of the cybercrime department said, “We are monitoring the social media since the lockdown has been clamped. A section of fake profiles have been identified which are trying to foment trouble among the people. Police people are being also trolled in social media. Stringent actions will be taken to trace the troubling people in order to calm the public sentiment”.

The Chief Minister also urged people to extend sympathy to the health staffs' who are working relentlessly. 

“I have been informed by some of my health staffs' and doctors that they are being told leave the places where they use to live on rent. This practice has to be stopped. All the doctors and health staffs are safe from any infection. And, then they are the people who are working overnight just to safeguard us. I request everyone to help the health officials to continue their services”, he said.

His remarks come in the wake of a couple of incidents that took place in the city where health staffs' and doctors residing in rented houses were asked to vacate their rented rooms. The landlords apparently feared that the doctors and health staffs were most exposed to this disease and their tenants could play the role of carrier to bridge the chain of infection between them and the virus. 

Such an incident took place at Krishnanagar area of Agartala located in the city hearts where a nurse had been asked to leave her rented room. Speaking to this reporter, the nurse who asked to remain anonymous said, “Since the virus struck, an apparent behavioral change came in the face of my landlords. And, as soon as the first case reported in Manipur I had been asked to leave as soon as possible”.

The nurse hails from a small town of the city located about 50 kilometers away. However, a huge number of health staffs including doctors use to stay in the capital city who hails from remote parts of the state. If everyone was compelled to leave their rented rooms a very big problem might arise in this period of crisis.

However, the Chief Minister had assured that legal actions would be taken as per the epidemic act came into force last week.