The medical surveillance authorities have managed to track a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, who was travelling in the same coach of Andhra Pradesh Sampark Kranti Express train as the eight Indonesian nationals, who were tested positive for coronavirus in Telangana.
Incidentally, the officials said that the jawan was showing symptoms of COVID-19, including coughing, when he was traced to his house in Kamareddy district of Telangana. However, he told the officials that he had been coughing even before he boarded the train in New Delhi.
A group of 10 tourists from Indonesia stayed in Karimnagar district, before one of them tested positive on March 17. Later, on Wednesday, seven other Indonesian tourists were tested positive for coronavirus. The group was also accompanied by three Indians, who have been tested and remain in quarantine.
Officials said that Jawan came from Jammu to Delhi by Pooja Express and boarded the Andhra Pradesh Sampark Kranti Express from New Delhi on March 13 and alighted at Ramagundam in Telangana on March 14 before leaving for his native place in Kamareddy district.
The 25-year-old Jawan had occupied berth 6 of S9 coach of the train. According to District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) P Chandrashekar, the district surveillance team, which includes Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and medical staff, reached out to the Jawan at his native place as part of the protocol.
"On receiving the information, we, along with our Rapid Response Team, reached his house and found that he has some symptoms like cough. We immediately brought him to Kamareddy Government Hospital for further examination and later he was shifted to Hyderabad Chest Hospital. Test results are awaited and he is stable.”
However, DMHO also claimed that the Jawan told the officials that he had been coughing even when he was in Jammu and Kashmir.
The official has stated that his family members are also kept under observation. According to officials, the Jawan had travelled in a bus and an auto-rickshaw before reaching Karimnagar bus stand, from where he took the bus till Machareddy.
.#Telangana state Min @GKamalakarTRS reaches out to people of #Karimnagar urging them to take preventive measures in the wake of #COVID19 cases. Certain restrictions hv been placed in the town. @thenewsminute @dhanyarajendran pic.twitter.com/Vr86wlcypR
— CharanTeja (@CharanT16) March 19, 2020
Meanwhile, officials in Karimnagar have rolled out a cluster containment plan by deploying Rapid Response Teams to screen people in the neighbourhood where Indonesian citizens stayed for two days.