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Sikkim Villagers Bar Outsiders from Entering amid COVID-19 Scare

Sikkim Villagers Bar Outsiders from Entering amid COVID-19 Scare

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Sikkim Sikkim

Gangtok, March 29, 2020:

Sikkim villagers of the Kolabari-Milan More area under Champasari near Siliguri have closed the entry for outsiders fearing the coronavirus or COVID-19.

The residents of these two Sikkim villages have put up bamboo barricades to dissuade anyone from visiting their area after the cases across India on Sunday reached 987.

The development came after the confirmation of a COVID-19 positive case at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital near Siliguri on Saturday.

There is also fear among the people of Siliguri that the said Kalimpong-based patient had travelled to different areas of Siliguri a few days ago.

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A 44-year-old resident of Kalimpong, West Bengal has tested positive of COVID-19. According to sources, the woman had recently returned from Chennai and later tested positive for COVID-19.

Due to close border with Bengal via Siliguri, the Sikkim village residents have barred the entry of  outsiders. Similar efforts were seen across Northeast in order to protect their own people.

Batabari village near Kokrajhar’s Dotma in Assam also have put up bamboo barricades. It has taken strict measures to block the inflow of visitors, as the COVID-19 continues to spread its tentacles across the world (over 21,000 have dies so far). The villagers have locked away the outside world and have strictly prohibited other people’s entry into village to stay at home and safe from COVID effect.

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Similarly, in Moran of Assam, several villagers were seen barricading themselves against outsiders, as the nation observed the second day of the 21-day lockdown called by the Indian Government as an emergency measure. Phatikasuwa Abhaypuri is one such village.

In Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Dibang Valley district many villages hung carcasses of dogs and animals to scare away evil forces, following which, the districts’ administrations issued a strongly worded order.

“Local rituals” were performed in the West Siang district of Arunachal to fend off epidemics or diseases and following such rituals, people are discouraged to go out of villages.

It may be mentioned here that India has surpassed the 900-mark in the total coronavirus or COVID-19 cases on Saturday to reach 987 infected people in the country as on Sunday.

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Among the States and Union Territories in India, Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of positive coronavirus cases — 193 (including three foreign nationals). Kerala has 176 positive cases (including eight foreign nationals), Karnataka has 76, Telangana has 65, Uttar Pradesh has 61, Gujarat 58, Rajasthan 56, Delhi -49, Tamil Nadu 42, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh 39 each, Jammu & Kashmir 33, Haryana 21, Andhra Pradesh 19, West Bengal 18, Ladakh 13, Bihar and Andaman & Nicobar Islands have 9 cases, Chandigarh 8, Chattisgarh and Goa have 6 each, Uttarakhand 5, Himachal Pradesh 4, Puducherry, Manipur and Mizoram have one cases each.

Internationally, 30,888 deaths have been reported till date due to the coronavirus, with a large chunk of those being reported from Italy (10,023). In all, 664,248 people have been infected by the virus till now, with 142,366 having recovered. Somewhat gravely, 25,207 are said to be in a “serious” condition.

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Edited By: Admin
Published On: Mar 29, 2020