Fresh case in Panchkula after 18 days, count reaches 19

Haryana’s Panchkula district reported a fresh Covid-19 case after 18 days, as a 44-year-old milk vendor was found infected at the congested rehabilitation Rajiv Colony near Sector 17 on Friday.

It has taken the total number of confirmed cases in the district to 19, though 17 of the patients have already been discharged. The last case was reported from Pinjore’s Nava Nagar village on April 20.

Civil surgeon Jasjeet Kaur said containment strategy has been immediately put in place at Rajiv Colony so that the virus does not spread further.

“We conducted random sampling in Rajiv Colony, during which the case surfaced. The patient’s condition is stable and he has been been moved to the isolation ward of the civil hospital,” she said. “His five family members have also been shifted to the civil hospital for testing.”

Dr Kaur said the man is into milk vending business in the colony and also runs a small confectionery shop.

“We are identifying his contact list and accordingly quaratine exercise will follow,” she said.

Congested colony a new challenge

Panchkula, like Chandigarh, got its first case in mid-March, but the number of cases did not spike after a family of nine in Sector 15 and seven people with Tablighi link were tested positive.

However, Rajiv Colony poses a new challenge, even as the Panchkula health department and district administration have been strict in enforcing rules.

It is a densly populated area, where social distancing is hard to enforce as people stay in very small houses, very much like Chandigarh’s Bapu Dham Colony, which accounts for 60% of the UT’s cases.

A health official, who did not wish to be named, said Rajiv Colony would definitely pose a challenge as all resources need to be diverted to it to screen individuals, identify high risk persons and restrict movement within the colony.