• Several apartments/localities in Guwahati have closed their gates for casual roaming around
• Residents of Santipur are only allowing emergency services in their area
• The first positive case of coronavirus in Assam reportedly has a travel history of being in different parts of Guwahati
• Similar initiatives have been taken by many localities
• Localities in Kalapahar and Athgaon too, are only allowing emergency and essential services
• In Dhirenpara, residents are shunning members form the minority community
Amidst the scare of having more COVID-19 infected people in the localities, several apartment complexes and localities in Guwahati have decided to close their gates for casual roaming around.
According to reports, the residents of Santipur in Guwahati have closed the gates and are only allowing emergency services in their area.
It is to be mentioned that earlier on March 31, a 52-year-old man was detected as the first positive case of coronavirus in Assam who reportedly has a travel history of being in different parts of Guwahati.
The patient went to Delhi via Guwahati on March 5. He stayed at a hotel and visited the Jama Majid. He also came into contact with people near Nizammudin Dargah. The patient returned to Guwahati on March 10 and stayed in Athgoan area on March 11. He then left by the Rajdhani Express to reach Badarpur on March 13, as per Dr. Babul Kumar Bezbaruah, Principal of Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
The patient’s condition is said to be stable currently.
In the subsequent days, several more coronavirus positive cases were reported from Assam, and all the patients had been in and around the Nizamuddin area in Delhi when the religious congregation was taking place, state health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had informed.
Further, many localities and apartments of the city have taken up similar initiatives.
“In my apartment, the residents have installed a tap at the entrance. So, every resident who enters the apartment complex, has to first wash their hands properly. Even the regular milk man is not being allowed inside the gate,” a resident of Athgaon told G Plus.
Another resident of Kalapahar said that the gates of her residential complex, too, remain closed at all times. Here, too, only emergency and essential services are being allowed to operate.
On the other hand, the news of members from the minority community who are testing COVID-19 positive in Assam after attending the religious congregation in Delhi, has led to locals shutting their localities to those belonging to the Muslim community. One such area in Guwahati is Dhirenpara.
“Since Dhirenpara locality is predominantly dominated by members of the minority community, it is being seen here that people are shutting their lanes and gates of apartments to members of the Muslim community,” said a resident. He added that people are feeling scared of contracting the virus and have basically begun stigmatization of members of the minority community.
In Dhirenpara in places like Bhaskar Nagar, one can see that residents have blocked by-lanes and roads leading up to their residential localities using make-shift material including bamboo sticks and large woods and leaves. They have also put up notices prohibiting people from entering their societies, informed locals.