Maharashtra villagers defy COVID-19 tests, attempt to spit on medico

Hundreds of angry Bodni villagers including at least 2 Covid19 patients trooped out on the road to defy the government police and medical teams coaxing them to undergo Covid19 tests officials said on WednesdayThe ire of the villagers was such that one of them allegedly attempted to spit on a PPEclad medico ostensibly to prove that nothing was wrong with them and they didnt require Covid testsThe ruckus was witnessed in the small coastal fishing hamlet of Bodni in the Alibag subdistrict of Raigad district where around 60 families among whom at least 72 persons have tested positive so far created a huge health scare among the district medical police and administration teamsThis was unexpected The villagers seemed to be under some misunderstanding and we sent our Tehsildar and other officials to convince them But they remained adamant a top official in the Alibag Collectorate told IANS requesting anonymityThe official added that the particular fishing hamlet in Bodni has already been declared as a containment zone but the people there have been noticed flouting all norms routinelyFrom tomorrow we plan to clamp stringent containment measures as per the laws Nobody will be allowed inside or outside the area and other rigorous protocols shall be implemented besides testing all the residents the official cautioned The incident came almost simultaneously with a huge commuters protest and train blockade which was witnessed in Nala Sopara town in Palghar district where irate commuters demanded resumption of public transport servicesAt Bodni two ambulances carrying a medical team arrived to carry out swab tests on the locals in the morning but were stunned to find themselves blocked at the hamlet entrance by a menacing crowd mostly women booing and screaming at them to go back Some of the doctors and paramedics in PPE kits gently attempted to persuade them for the tests but the villagers refused outrightA local claimed that among the protesters there were at least two Covid19 patients who removed their face masks and mingled in the crowd shocking the medicos and even the police which had rushed to the spot There is nothing wrong with us They conduct tests and declare us as positive We have no faith in these false tests shouted some of the protesters even as one attempted to spit on the medicosThough the medical team departed and the crowd dispersed later a police posse was maintained outside the hamlet as a precaution Speaking to the media a medico said that recently 72 persons had tested positive in the hamlet of which many were sent to institutional quarantine while others went into home quarantineDespite our best efforts the villagers throw caution to the wind and do not observe the quarantine norms The local community leaders must impress upon them since it can pose a huge health hazard for the entire region said the doctor Prominent lawyer from Alibag Surendra Dhavale said that the district has been hit by a viral infection since the past few days of heavy rains and it was imperative for the people to take utmost precautionMeanwhile on Wednesday evening the village panchayat was huddled into a meeting to decide the next course of action even as many villagers opined that Covid19 norms must be adhered to in the larger social interest said a villagerWith 12156 Covid19 cases and 236 deaths Raigad district a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region MMR ranks among the top 10 worsthit districts in MaharashtraCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever