Amid concerns that thousands of Non-Resident Indians, who are suspected of having COVID-19 (Coronavirus) remains missing in neighboring Punjab, the Chandigarh Administration has now prepared a list of 76 foreign returnees who came back to the country in March, but are yet to be traced.
These 76 city residents figured in the list of 2,277 NRIs sent to Chandigarh Administration by the Central Government on Saturday evening. They have returned to the country from March 1 onwards and have residential address of Chandigarh mentioned in their passports.
Apart from these 76 residents, the UT Administration is also concerned about the names of foreign returnees who are not mentioned in the updated list sent by the Central Government.
Only a day before, a couple who had returned from Canada on March 13 were tested positive for Coronavirus in the city. The name of the couple was not mentioned in the Central Government’s list of NRIs sent to the Administration.
Similarly, the eighth positive case of COVID-19 reported in the city was not included in the passengers’ list received from Union Government earlier.
The 22-year-old man, eighth case from Chandigarh had showed no symptoms for 10 days after returning from Dubai and had reported to a local hospital only on 15th day and was tested positive on Friday last.
“A list of 76 residents out of 2277 NRIs who could not be traced has been prepared by the Chandigarh Administration. These people were not found at the residential address here mentioned on their passports,” said a senior officer of UT Administration while talking to The Pioneer.
“Information has been gathered that some of them are living in neighboring towns and other states. We will now write to the concerned Administration to track such people and ensure that they are put under home quarantine,” he said.
The officer further said that the Administration had on Saturday evening received a list of 2277 NRIs who had landed in the city after March 1. A list of 675 such returnees who came after March 14 was prepared, considering 14 days incubation period of COVID-19, he said.
Giving details of people put under home quarantine, he said that so far, 1070 people including NRIs and primary or secondary contact of positive cases have been stamped and put under home quarantine.
When asked how the Administration is ensuring that those stamped do not violate the home quarantine regulations, the senior officer said a list of those under home quarantine is sent to SHOs, Health Department and also put on website of Chandigarh Administration to inform other residents and ensure that quarantine protocol is not violated. The city has so far reported 15 positive cases of COVID-19..
