March 21, 2020
Possibility of trains with infected patients coming to Bangla: Mamata Banerjee
The Bangla Government has written a letter to Indian Railways asking it to suspend long-distance trains to the State after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed the fear that many migrants were being allowed to take trains without screening them for symptoms of COVID-19.
Mamata had flagged her concerns during an interview to a private television channel, saying that some States are sending back people through special trains after they failed to stop spread of the virus. She also said that the railways are not carrying out health screening of the people coming to Bangla from other States.
Due to these issues, she said she would request the railways to suspend long-distance trains to Bangla for a few days.
However, mindful of how coronavirus spreads, she said those who have already reached Bangla or who are on the way would not be sent back. Rather, she said, she would request such people to self-quarantine themselves, that is, stay at home for 14 days, and in case they develop any symptom, contact their nearest government hospitals.
The family members of such people, she said, should ensure that they isolate themselves even from the newly arrived so that they stand no chance of contracting the virus.
