Bengal woman advised quarantine after returning from Spain, goes out to walk her dog; triggers panic

Siliguri: A woman, who recently returned from Spain to her hometown Siliguri, disregarded doctor's advice of home quarantine and went out to walk her dog on Friday, triggering panic in the area, the local councillor said.

The woman, who is in her early 20s, returned on Wednesday from Spain, one of the worst-hit countries by the coronavirus outbreak.

She is pursuing higher studies in the European country, according to local sources.

Upon reaching India, she was advised to go on home quarantine.

However, she went out of her house in Ward no 24 to walk her dog and strolled the entire area, councillor Shankar Ghosh said.

Ghosh, when informed by locals, intimated the health department of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

Then Ghosh, along with doctors of the health department, visited her house but she and her family members allegedly misbehaved with them, the councillor said.

Expressing outrage, Ghosh said the matter has been notified to the higher authorities for suitable action.

Meanwhile, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital's superintendent Koushik Samaddar said 35 persons visited the health facility with cough and cold, and 20 of them have been advised to go on home quarantine.

The rest did not have any coronavirus-like symptoms, he added.

On the other hand, two women, who recently returned to Kolkata from abroad, were taken to the hospital by police on Friday after they disregarded the advice of home quarantine and were found to be strolling near their apartment, officials said.

The women, residents of a housing complex in the Ballygunge area, have been sent to the Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital's quarantine unit in Rajarhat, they said.

They were not adhering to the protocol of home quarantine and found roaming in the area after coming back from abroad, a senior officer said.

"We have shifted the two women to hospital as per the West Bengal Epidemic Disease Covid19 Regulation, 2020.

We want people to follow the protocol of being on home quarantine for a period of 14 days or else we have to take strict action," he said.