BENGALURU: Civic officials sealed off an apartment complex in Vasanthapura, Bommanahalli area, on Tuesday after its two residents with UK travel histories were reported to have contracted the new strain of the coronavirus. The Covid-19 prevention protocol requires BBMP to switch all contacts from such cases to institutional quarantine, but members of the complex objected and suggested sealing the entire building.
The two positive residents, a woman and her daughter, landed in Bengaluru on December 19 and were recommended home quarantine. Two days later, they tested positive for Covid-19 and were transferred to Victoria Hospital, where they continue to receive treatment. Genetic sequencing of their samples confirmed Tuesday that they had contracted the variant of the virus that is blamed for rising infection rates in Britain. Both are among the country’s first documented cases of the new variant, which experts say spreads faster than other known versions of the virus. Overall, three of the six patients identified in the country are in Bengaluru.
M Ramakrishna, BBMP Joint Commissioner, Bommanahalli, said TOI that more than 30 people returned to Bommanahalli from the UK on December 19. Of these, two have tested positive so far. “After the woman and her daughter at Siri Embassy Apartments tested positive, we considered the families living in 15 other apartments in the complex as secondary contacts and tested them,” he said. Approximately 50 residents were screened and advised home isolation last week.
“On Tuesday, we received instructions from the government to put all of them in institutional quarantine, but they objected and asked us to close the building,” Ramakrishna said.
KN Vedhavathi, a resident of the complex, said the institutional quarantine made no sense as the members had left after testing negative nearly a week ago. “After the tests, they told us not to go out until the results came in. The results were negative and we were not asked to continue with the home quarantine, ”Vedhavathi said. “Suddenly on Tuesday afternoon, BBMP officials showed up with ambulances and asked us to go into institutional quarantine.”
Residents with young children and elderly parents told officials they would feel safer and more comfortable in a seal than in an institutional quarantine. “I have a 15 month old baby. I think it is safer to quarantine my family within the four walls of this floor, ”added Vedhavathi.
Residents have assured officials that they will strictly follow home isolation. Some are upset by the lack of communication from BBMP in the last week. “We agreed with everything the officials said: we did tests and the building was disinfected. We are fine with being confined to our homes, and two policemen have been deployed outside the gates. But we do not agree with the institutional quarantine ”, said a resident.
Health Minister K Sudhakar said the strategy to deal with the new variant does not involve blockades or seals. “There will be no need for such measures. One, the number of people infected with the new variant is very small. Two, experts believe that people with antibodies are unlikely to be affected, ”he said.
The two positive residents, a woman and her daughter, landed in Bengaluru on December 19 and were recommended home quarantine. Two days later, they tested positive for Covid-19 and were transferred to Victoria Hospital, where they continue to receive treatment. Genetic sequencing of their samples confirmed Tuesday that they had contracted the variant of the virus that is blamed for rising infection rates in Britain. Both are among the country’s first documented cases of the new variant, which experts say spreads faster than other known versions of the virus. Overall, three of the six patients identified in the country are in Bengaluru.
M Ramakrishna, BBMP Joint Commissioner, Bommanahalli, said TOI that more than 30 people returned to Bommanahalli from the UK on December 19. Of these, two have tested positive so far. “After the woman and her daughter at Siri Embassy Apartments tested positive, we considered the families living in 15 other apartments in the complex as secondary contacts and tested them,” he said. Approximately 50 residents were screened and advised home isolation last week.
“On Tuesday, we received instructions from the government to put all of them in institutional quarantine, but they objected and asked us to close the building,” Ramakrishna said.
KN Vedhavathi, a resident of the complex, said the institutional quarantine made no sense as the members had left after testing negative nearly a week ago. “After the tests, they told us not to go out until the results came in. The results were negative and we were not asked to continue with the home quarantine, ”Vedhavathi said. “Suddenly on Tuesday afternoon, BBMP officials showed up with ambulances and asked us to go into institutional quarantine.”
Residents with young children and elderly parents told officials they would feel safer and more comfortable in a seal than in an institutional quarantine. “I have a 15 month old baby. I think it is safer to quarantine my family within the four walls of this floor, ”added Vedhavathi.
Residents have assured officials that they will strictly follow home isolation. Some are upset by the lack of communication from BBMP in the last week. “We agreed with everything the officials said: we did tests and the building was disinfected. We are fine with being confined to our homes, and two policemen have been deployed outside the gates. But we do not agree with the institutional quarantine ”, said a resident.
Health Minister K Sudhakar said the strategy to deal with the new variant does not involve blockades or seals. “There will be no need for such measures. One, the number of people infected with the new variant is very small. Two, experts believe that people with antibodies are unlikely to be affected, ”he said.
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