BELAGAVI: A group of 13 people, who tested positive in Athani on Tuesday, have created a scare in the taluk. They had returned from a pilgrimage from Jharkhand 20 days ago, but were allowed to stay in home quarantine rather than the mandatory institutional quarantine. Even as the test results were awaited, they allegedly ventured out and visited several places. It is alleged that most of them hail from rich and politically influential families and they used their clout to avo i d i n s t i t u t i o n a l quarantine.
Eight of the 13 patients are from Savadi village, three from Nandgaon and one each from Junjarwad and Bellanki villages of Athani taluk. The Health and Family Welfare Department, which is in charge of putting such groups under institutional quarantine, are being blamed for their laxity. If sources are to be believed, the 13 people, on their return, had promised authorities that they would stay isolated in their farmhouses, away from their homes in Athani taluk till the end of their quarantine period.
But they allegedly returned home even before their quarantine schedule got over. According to sources, some of them even travelled to neighbouring Jamkhandi and met many people there. The district administration is now struggling to trace their travel history and primary and secondary contacts, sources said.
One gives fake address One of the infected persons allegedly furnished a fake residential address to the authorities. While he hails from Khavatkoppa village, he claimed to be from Savadi village. Instead of being under home quarantine, he arranged a public function ‘Mahaprasada’ as part of his pilgrimage. All of them got their haircut done from a barber as part of a ‘ritual’ on their return. It is also said that there was a long delay in collecting their throat swabs. Belagavi Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr Rajendra KV feigned ignorance over the state of affairs.