A Kalyan resident who tested positive for the coronavirus has sent the Kalyan and Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) into tizzy after he travelled to Solapur by train to attend a wedding. A special team has been put together to track all those who came in contact with the patient, who was admitted to Kasurba hospital. Officials said while he may have come in contact with nearly 1,000 people, search operations have not found anyone showing symptoms so far. Till date, Kalyan has reported three patients who have tested positive for coronavirus, which causes Covid-19.
According to the KDMC, the Kalyan resident returned to Mumbai from the United States of America on March 6. From the airport, he took a taxi to Kalyan. The same evening, he took the Hutatma Express to Solapur, to attend a relative’s wedding. It is an overnight journey to Solapur and on the way, Hutatma Express stops at Pune where it would have picked up passengers.
KDMC has issued a letter to the district collectors of Solapur and Pune, informing them of the patient’s travel history, and have asked the authorities to track down all those who may have been in the cluster affected by this patient.
The patient started exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 – cough, fever, body ache – from March 9, and he was tested for the coronavirus in Kasturba Hospital. His daughter and his wife has tested positive.
KDMC’s letter signed by Dr Raju Lavangare, head of civic health staff, says that to avoid spread of infection, it is necessary to trace all people who attended the wedding that the patient had attended. One taxi driver in Pune has tested positive for coronavirus and it is essential to trace the taxi driver who had ferried this patient on March 6, says KDMC’s letter.
District collector of Solapur Milind Shambharkar told HT, “Yes, we have received letter from KDMC and as per that we have formed special teams to track each and every person who came in contact with the infected person.” The district administration has created 10 teams of five members each and with the help of village Talathi and Gramsevek, it is in the process of identifying all those who attended the wedding. A list of those who were exposed to the infected person is being drawn up and all these people will be tested for the coronavirus.
So far, no one has reported symptoms and the search operations are ongoing.