Fearing infection, residents of Chandigarh’s Sector 11 demand shifting of Covid testing kiosks from market

The residents of Sector 11 here have been feeling unsafe lately due to their proximity to three Covid-19 testing kiosks set up on the road near their homes and possible exposure to infected patients.

They have written to the administration, including UT adviser and director health services, asking that the facilities be shifted elsewhere.

Punjab and Haryana high court advocate Anshuman Chopra, who lives right opposite to the Sector 11 market, said the situation had become bad only about two weeks back. “When the price for Covid testing was capped at Rs 2,000, more and more people got their tests done at the drive-through booth set up on the road. The World Health Organization has said that Covid-19 can be transmitted through air, so the citizens living nearby are concerned. Sometimes, it is hard for us to take out our vehicles as long queues could be blocking the road,” he said adding that he had written to the UT authorities about this a week ago, but no action has been taken.

Market welfare association president Diwakar Sahoonja added, “Earlier, SRL Diagnostics Lab had one booth here, but about a week ago, Atulya labs have also opened two more kiosks on the other side of the road leading to more rush. When they come for Covid tests, people have to wait and they often get out of their vehicles to buy something to eat or drink, or to get photocopies of their ID proof, which are needed for the tests. This has got the shopkeepers very worried. Even customers are afraid to visit this market now and we have been steadily losing out on business.”

Local area councillor Maheshinder Singh Sidhu said residents and shopkeepers here had asked him to help in the matter. “Though the labs have the necessary permissions, I’m taking up the people’s concerns with the authorities so that the drive-in booths may be shifted to a spot away from the residential area.”

‘DRIVE-THROUGHS SAFE, SET UP ALL OVER COUNTRY’

Meanwhile, SRL regional chief operating officer (north and east) Anindya Chowdhury said, “We understand people’s apprehensions, but we assure them that they have nothing to be worried about. In the drive-through, there is no close contact so there is no chance of spread. The swab is taken through the car window so there is no aerosol generation. The booth and the vehicles are regularly sanitised. A hypo-solution is used for sanitisation after each sample is taken.”

UT adviser Manoj Parida said, “These kiosks are just collection centres and have been built on the lines of other private Covid testing facilities throughout the country. The kiosks have been allowed by the government and the residents have nothing to be worried about.”