Officials lock homes to stop Covid spread in Chhatarpur

Bhopal: Amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic in Chhatarpur district, the administration locked the houses of a containment area in Harpalpur town to check people’s movement. After a complaint that people were using their backdoor to move out, they were put under lock.

Recently a man, who was living in the containment zone left for Jhansi after his swab samples were taken and a report was awaited.

It caused concern and the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) ordered to lock the backdoor of the houses so that people do not escape from the containment zone. Over a dozen houses with backdoor have been locked. Administration sources said that people started leaving their houses after a locality was declared a containment zone as 3 corona positive cases were detected on Monday. But in the absence of police and administrative officials at night, people stated leaving their houses from the backdoor. Many of them are Covid suspects, including the 55-year-old man who left for Jhansi and whose swab sample report was awaited.

“This man had gone to Jhansi to visit his native village of Garotha and was meeting many people in the small village. He was tracked down by police personnel and was brought back to Harpalpur”, police said. Villagers said the man has put the entire village at risk.

Nowgong SDM Vinay Dwivedi said, “Presently, we have only locked their backdoor, if they insist and violate rules, cases will also be registered against them.” During the lockdown period in April, the district administration in Khajuraho had started locking the houses of people who were quarantined. But after a controversy, the locks were opened.

The Nowgong SDM said, “We expect people to stay at home and help contain the pandemic. By moving out, they are not only risking their lives but that of others also.”

There are 338 positive cases in Chhatarpur district