Coronavirus: Arrival of 11 'Outsiders' Sparks Fear in Assam's Magherita

Margherita, March 27, 2020:

Amid the nationwide lockdown that has been called by the Government in a bid to contain the spread of the contagion coronavirus, the citizens of Margherita in Assam on Thursday were greeted to the sight of "outsiders" who disembarked at the local railway station. Even more alarmingly, locals have reported, the outsiders seemed to be suffering from cough and fever -- some of the common symptoms associated with the deadly virus COVID-19.

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An Inside Northeast source has informed that altogether eleven people from outside arrived at the Margherita Railway station on the Kamrup Express train late last night. Of those, ten were male, while one is a female. Upon arrival, the eleven outsiders caught the notice of the locals, including some regional leaders.

Binod Das, leader of Asom Jatiyotabadi Yuba Parishad (AJYCP) Margherita Regional Committee said, "My house is near Margherita Railway station. When I heard railway engine sound and immediately rushed to Margherita railway station, I saw 11 people landing from Kamrup Express. They seemed to be suffering from cough and fever, so I immediately informed the Margherita police station. Moreover, train services have been stopped, so how come the train came to the station?".

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After Das registered his complaint, the Margherita police reached Margherita railway station and took all the suspected 11 passengers to Margherita Civil Hospital for a check up. This development has come at a time when many villages in Assam have completely blocked the entry of outsiders due to a fear of the COVID-19.

Taking cognizance of the threat posed by the outbreak of the coronavirus or COVID-19, the people of a remote village in Assam’s Kokrajhar district, Batabari, have put up bamboo barricades to dissuade anyone from visiting the village.

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Similarly, in Moran of Assam, similar sights have been witnessed where several villagers have been seen barricading themselves against outsiders, as the nation observes the second day of the 21-day lockdown called by the Indian Government as an emergency measure. Phatikasuwa Abhaypuri is one such village.

“The decision that the Centre has taken to lockdown, we should follow. Even a developed country like Italy has not been able to resist. France, Japan, America and China have seen many deaths. The people of this village have become alert and we are not allowing foreigners to enter”, said a youth of the Assam village.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE:

At the time of filing this report, worldometers.info reports that a total of 537,178 coronavirus infections have been reported so, far, with 753 of those being from India. While the virus has claimed 24,126 lives across the world, the Indian death toll stands at 20. Italy has recorded the most deaths at 8,215, while Spain has recorded 4,365 deaths.

Source: worldometers.info

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