NEW DELHI: Shyalaja (name changed), who works as a nurse and stays at the Indira Niketan Working Girls Hostel, tested positive last week. She was sharing a room with two other women in. Her roommates were asked to stay under home quarantine for 14 days but did not follow the rules, according to the residents. Earlier, a 50-year-old mess worker had developed symptoms but did not go for a test for weeks. He tested positive later.
Many residents at the hostel are worried that it may become a Covid hotspot due to the attitude of some women and the authorities.“The NDMC staffs sanitised and disinfected the hostel. They asked the two girls to stay in their rooms. While they tested negative in the rapid antigen test, they were asked to follow the quarantine rules but they did not and put others at risk also,” said a resident.
“Even after strict advice by our Warden, many residents here do not wear masks while stepping out of their rooms. One of the mess workers also tested positive, but the mess was not sanitized. No one from NDMC visited the hostel on that day,” said a resident requesting anonymity. While the numbers of cases in Delhi has crosses the 1 lakh mark, people also are getting more and more lax their approach.
An official, on condition of anonymity said, “With relaxation in lockdown, people are not taking the disease seriously. The authorities are working hard to serve the people. We are performing our duties, it should be the people who should keep them safe and follow the rules.”
“We get several complaints about people under quarantine roaming outside. We advise them to stay indoors and also fine them,” said a senior police official.