Couple locks up their kid each day to fight COVID-19 on frontlines

Jaipur: This is the story of a couple in Bhilwara who have been locking up their minor daughter each day as they fight Covid-19 on the frontline. This corona warrior-couple -- husband working as a compounder and wife a police constable -- keeping the nation first in the tough times. They step out of their home each day only after locking up their 7-year-old daughter, Dikshita, for straight 8 hours.

While the husband has been serving his duty in an isolation centre and hence has not visited his house for over 15 days, the wife is busy ensuring people stay indoors during curfew in Bhilwara that had erupted as the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the state. With no one else at home, the mother is left with no other option but to lock up her young one. Saroj Kumar, constable with Rajasthan police said: "It's quiet tough to leave my 7-year-old daughter Dakshita for 8 hours but then nation comes first." "My husband has been working in Mahatma Gandhi Hospital's isolation centre and hence has not come home for past 15 days, fearing infection. In such situations, there is only one option -- leaving my daughter at home, she says. Bhilwara emerged as a major hotspot in the country after a well-known hospital became the epicentre of the virus spread. Measures by the administration and people's cooperation since helped in breaking the corona chain here.

Bhilwara, in fact, was the first town where 'maha curfew' was clamped in the state to make the town corona-free. Curfew was clamped here right from March 20. Little Dikhita, understands that her parents are working hard to shoo away a monster virus."My mother fights with the coronavirus on a daily basis. She locks me inside the house and goes out to perform her duty. I do not feel scared, in fact I sit at home and study or watch television," she says. "Being with Rajasthan Police, I am performing my duty towards my country so that I can save the people from this deadly disease. I ask the people to stay at home as it is safe at home," Saroj said. According to the Rajasthan State Health Department, over 1,034 positive coronavirus cases have been reported so far in the state. Bhilwara recently emerged on global map by managing to break the corona chain with the people supporting in the fight against this dreadful virus. A woman sarpanch was at the forefront of that success.