KOCHI: As many as 12 staff members of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Minicoy (Lakshadweep), have been stranded in a quarantine centre in Kochi since June 6 and are now facing the threat of contracting Covid-19. The 20-member group includes six children of some staffers.They reached Kochi from Covid-19 green zones in different states, including Kerala, after summer vacation. They were supposed to undergo two days of quarantine at the Lakshadweep government’s guest house here and leave for the island on June 8 to rejoin duty. However, they have been stuck at the quarantine centre, Hotel Royal 4 Lakshadweep, near the district hospital here since their arrival.
“When we reached the guest house, we were told that we could not stay there as we are not Lakshadweep natives. We were asked to shift to the hotel, which is owned by a Lakshadweep native and is now paid quarantine centre for people bound for Lakshadweep. We are paying `1,000 per day for the stay,” said one of the teachers.
The group members are worried about their health as many people arriving from the states which have a high number of Covid-19 cases, including Maharashtra and Gujarat, en route to Lakshadweep are being housed at the hotel. They were asked to be under seven-day quarantine after which they were to be shifted to the guest house. They were told that they could leave for Lakshadweep if they tested negative. “There are chances we might contract the disease here. However, when we enquired, the Lakshadweep officials told us to follow the instructions,” said another teacher.
Fears come true
The teachers’ fears came true when a Dubai returnee living in the room adjacent to the room of two school staffers tested positive on June 12. After the person was shifted, a Delhi Police officer who is a Lakshadweep native was allotted the same room for three days. “On Tuesday, the police officer was shifted to another room,” said a teacher.
With the Dubai returnee testing positive, the teachers have to be in quarantine for another 14 days. The teachers demand that their swab samples be tested immediately and that they be shifted to a safer place if they test negative. “We contacted Navodaya Vidyalaya authorities. They told us that they have contacted the Lakshadweep government officials. We are keeping our fingers crossed,” said the teacher.
“As we have limited resources here, we are placing many persons under quarantine at the hotel, but they don’t have to worry. We tested the hotel staff. They all tested negative. We can’t allow the teachers to go back as it will put people in their native places at risk. Their safety is our prime concern. People returning from abroad are put under observation in state-owned quarantine centres and are brought here only after they test negative or get clearance,” said a Lakshadweep official.