COVID-19 patient flees community centre in Baghpat, found in brick kiln

A 65-year-old COVID-19 positive man from Nepal fled from the community health centre here after breaking a window pane and was later found with the help of locals at a brick kiln, officials said on Tuesday.

The patient, who had attended the congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin, had fled on Monday and was found today.

"He was admitted to the community hospital in Baghpat on April 4. He was part of a group of 27 people from Nepal, who had attended the Delhi Tablighi Jamaat gathering. He managed to flee from the hospital after breaking a window pane and using his bedsheet," Chief Medical Officer, RK Tondon said.

IG,Meerut Range, Praveen Kumar said,"The patient has been found about 3 km from the hospital at a brick kiln with the help of locals".

A health department team is going to bring him back to the the health centre, he added.

District Magistrate Shakuntala Gautam said security arrangements in the hospital are being probed and added that CCTV will be installed to monitor patients.

The Markaz Nizamuddin gathering in Delhi has been linked to 30 per cent of coronavirus cases across India. States have been tracking down and quarantining members of the Tablighi Jamaat.

Till Sunday, Uttar Pradesh had reported 278 cases, about half of which were linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin.

The state has so far reported three deaths--one each in Basti, Meerut and Varanasi.