Cops shift women to quarantine centre in Calcutta – Telegraph India

Two women of a housing complex in Ballygunge, one a student who has returned from the UK and the other an elderly resident who is back from the US, were shifted by police to a quarantine facility following complaints from neighbours.

Sources at Lalbazar said multiple residents of the housing complex complained to Ballygunge police station that the two women — who are not related — were not following home-quarantine rules and exposing others to the risk of contracting Covid-19.

Calcutta police commissioner Anuj Sharma said the police were prepared to coordinate with the health department in such cases and intervene when needed.

“Today, we shifted two women to the hospital as per the West Bengal Epidemic Disease COVID 19 Regulation 2020 from a housing complex in Ballygunge for not adhering to the protocol of home quarantine after coming back from abroad. We will intervene again in all such cases,” he added.

“The younger women claimed she was following all rules and that she was asymptomatic,” an officer of Ballygunge police station said. “She threatened to move court against those who harassed her.”

The older woman is said to have told the police that since she was “not disturbing anyone”, she should be allowed to stay at home.

The Telegraph could not reach out to the women for their comments.

Allegations had surfaced that both women were spotted outside their home. Some of the neighbours apparently panicked seeing them and decided to alert police.

This newspaper on Friday reported that Lalbazar had been receiving such complaint calls over the last few days. “We are taking these calls very seriously and are coordinating with the state health department whenever necessary,” said an officer.

This was the first time the police had to intervene, the officer added. There have been cases of the police passing on complaints to the health department, from where officials have contacted the suspected patients. Police need to intervene only when there is “resistance,” an officer said.

Anyone with a history of travel in the last 14 days to any country where Covid-19 cases have been reported has to be quarantined at home for a period of 14 days. It is expected the person will remain in one room and maintain minimal contact with others.