KOCHI: Residents of Fort Kochi are in the grip of fear as reports came in of a Mumbai returnee testing Covid positive on Sunday, after it was found that he had flouted quarantine norms and moved around freely amongst the locals since arriving on June 22.Following the test results of the 29-year-old came positive, a number of people, including the staff of Canara Bank branch in Kunnumpuram near Mattanchery, and police personnel including a Sub-Inspector, have been placed in quarantine, officials said.
They said the “irresponsible” actions of the youngster set off a chain of events since June 22 evening, after his arrival by train, when he was sent home with quarantine advisory. However, he was later apprehended in an inebriated condition near his rented home at Pattalam, Fort Kochi, after locals alerted the police station. According to officials, after his arrival, he contacted his friend in Palluruthy and it was in his autorickshaw that they visited many public places that day. On reaching home, he found his rented home at Pattalam locked, which allegedly led him to pick up a row with the house owner. He then went to withdraw money from the Canara Bank branch and got a haircut at a barbershop in Mattanchery, followed by a shower in the public toilet near Dutch Palace.
“Four employees of Canara Bank, the house owner, police personnel including an SI, the friend who took him around town and a barber have been quarantined. Others are under observation while more persons in the contact list have to be identified. There are 20 staff in the Canara Bank branch, and it remained closed on Monday. Disinfection activities took place Monday. The duo had also bought liquor from an outlet in Thoppumpady. We are yet to track down their drinking companions,” said Zeenath Rasheed, councillor of Ward Number 2, Fort Kochi.
“The public alerted the police following a ruckus in front of his wife’s home at Pattalam. The police had to overpower him as he was drunk and not in a mood to cooperate,” said Zeenath. “Residents in the area are scared. We do not know how many people will be infected,” said Vinod, a resident of Fort Kochi. According to police sources, the SI, a police driver and two other police personnel have been asked to go on quarantine after the man tested positive, though they had no direct contact with him. Police have registered a case against him invoking the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance and he has been shifted to Adulux Convention Centre, Angamaly.