PATHANAMTHITTA: While entering the narrow road leading to the house of the family which returned from Italy last week, you may not be able to see many people outside their houses. This small village near Ranni area wears a serene look and you may wonder whether you have entered a ghost hamlet which is under lockdown.
However, people here, who were asked to observe house quarantine after they came into close contact with the three-member family who returned from Italy on February 29, are strictly following the instructions of the Health Department.
The neighbours, including those in the secondary contact list, are also slightly anxious. However, nobody is blaming the family. They also said fake social media messages are doing more damage than any help.
“A photo of the three family members who returned from Italy and tested positive for Coronavirus was widely circulated claiming that during this visit, they had attended a marriage function. That photo was taken four years ago,’’ said one of the neighbours.
However, those who were asked to stay inside the house as part of precautionary protocol said they were not even able to go to shops to buy essential items. “In some of the houses, the residents are women. With the situation precipitating so fast, the women are left wringing their hands since they have been unable to stock many of the essential and personal things,” said another woman neighbour.
Meanwhile, the members of the church, which, according to a section of media, was visited by the trio to attend Mass the day after they landed in Kerala, said the family did not visit it. “I am a member of that church. They were not there for the service on March 1,” said C P Kuriakose, a resident.
The people in this small village are hoping that the government will successfully contain the outbreak. “Today, two more cases were tested positive. But we are hoping that it will be the last one to be confirmed from the area,” said a local resident.