Vikramaditya
Port Blair, July 27: First death in Andaman due to COVID19 has shaken these Islands although Administration is double checking whether the death is due to COVID19 or during death the patient was COVID19 negative. According to sources, the Health Department will conduct another test to confirm the cause, perhaps this explains the reason behind the delay in declaring this death by Administration.
Whatever might be the reason behind death of the COVID19 patient, fact is that, according to sources another three patients are still on ventilator, when this report is being prepared.
As COVID19 cases are increasing sharply and now death is also being reported, many Islanders strongly feel that mandatory institutional quarantine is the only solution to save Andaman from the pandemic. Not only this, such steps will also ensure normal economic activities in these Islands without any fear and hence the decision of mandatory institutional quarantine, if taken, will yield double positive impacts.
Adding to this, there will be other benefits too, if passengers, who can pay, are asked to pay bills for the institutional quarantine in lowor medium budget Hotels, then the struggling Hotel Industry of Andaman will get some support. Of course those who can’t pay can be shifted to government run Institutional Quarantine centers, as it was done for ship passengers earlier.
Such directions will also force people to drop plans for unwanted travel from Mainland to Andaman, which will again save these Islands from COVID19 infections.
This is sad to note that when local politicians, public and prominent citizens are demanding mandatory institutional quarantine for incoming passengers, the Administration is not listening to public voice.
