KOCHI: The health department and police are up against a new challenge in the fight against Covid-19, as asymptomatic patients violate the mandatory quarantine by submitting negative Covid test results secured from private labs in Perumbavoor and Muvattupuzha.
While the health department has stipulated a mandatory 17-day home quarantine for those who test Covid positive at government labs, these patients submit the Covid negative test result sourced from the private labs after four to five days to circumvent the quarantine period. After the district medical wing alerted the Rural police about the new development, cases were registered against 13 persons in Varapuzha and Kunnathunad. While Varapuzha police booked 11 persons based on the report from Pizhala Primary Health Centre (PHC), Kunnathunad police registered cases against two persons based on the report forwarded by Mazhuvannoor PHC.
“Following a directive from Rural police chief K Karthick, the Rural police have launched a probe into the role of private labs in the incident. We don’t know the authenticity of the negative test results presented by a few persons. There are some private labs in Perumbavoor and in interior areas of Muvattupuzha, which provide Covid negative test results after taking money. A detailed probe is on,” said a senior police officer.