Mathura district admin tightens restrictions after couple test COVID-19 positive

The Mathura district administration has tightened lockdown restrictions after two more COVID-19 cases were reported in the old city area taking the total cases in the district to 16, an official said.

The mother and father of a 22-year-old man, who had tested positive for the virus last week, turned out to be COVID-19 positive also after their reports were received on Friday, Mathura District Magistrate Sarvagya Ram Mishra said.

Both the parents were quarantined at a centre on April 25 after their son was found coronavirus positive, the DM said. Now, the couple have been sent for treatment to hospital, Mishra said.

While mobile ATM facilities have been introduced in areas that are sealed for withdrawal of cash, 14 more grocers have been permitted to supply essential commodities in the hotspot areas, the DM said.

The chief medical officer has been asked to take action against a doctor, who came out of a quarantine centre at a hospital in Vrindavan on Thursday on the pretext of purchasing some items, he said.

Meanwhile, the entire staff including the chief medical superintendent and eight doctors of the hospital have been quarantined after a ward boy was found COVID-19 positive, Mishra said.

The samples of the entire staff will be sent for COVID-19 testing, the official said.

Two more patients have recovered raising the number of cured cases to 11, he claimed.

While no relaxation is being extended in the old city area that is a hotspot, the delivery of all essential commodities to the area has been ensured, Mishra stated adding that misuse of passes would invite punitive action.

Meanwhile, Additional District Magistrate S K Tripathi said thousands of migrant workers stuck in Rajasthan would be returning on Saturday to their native places in UP.

Their entry would be subject to clearance after COVID-19 testing at SRC Institute in Magorra village of the district, Tripathi said.

About 6,000 labourers are expected to enter the state, he said.

Once they cross the state border, around 250 buses arranged by the state government will ferry them to various districts according to the place of their destination, the ADM said.