KHOTANG, JUNE 27

Fear has increased among villagers after a police constable, who returned to his work at the police headquarters in Kathmandu from Khotang, tested positive for COVID-19.

The constable had served at Sapteshworchhitapokhari-based temporary police post of Diprung Chuichumma Rural Municipality during the last one month. People of the village, police personnel at the post and relatives of the infected are now in a state of panic as they fear that they might have contracted the virus from him.

The police constable had gone to his house before the nationwide lockdown. But he temporarily joined work at the police post on May 19 as he could not return to Kathmandu due to the lockdown.

After the lockdown was relaxed, he returned to Kathmandu in a jeep on June 22.

Khotang Chief District Officer Shaligram Sharma Poudel said that the constable tested positive for the virus in PCR test in Kathmandu.

He had even reached his sister’s house in Diktel Rupakot Majuwagadhi Municipality on foot from his house while heading to Kathmandu on June 21.

Two other persons had also travelled with the infected. The driver of the jeep was from Chauredeurali, Kavre. Ward Chairman Lalit Rai said that they had demanded that the municipality manage PCR tests for the 12 persons who came in contact with the infected.

Rural municipality Chairman Bhupendra Rai said that the constable’s house and temporary police post were sealed after the case was confirmed. He said that preparation was under way to carry out the PCR test of the constable’s family and police personnel working at the police post.

CDO Poudel said that health workers were deployed to the area to collect swab samples for the PCR test. There are five police personnel in the police post.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 28, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.