Many resident welfare associations and apartment groups across the city have come forward and alleged that a few of their household employees (cooks, security guards, maids etc.) have returned from badly hit COVID-19 states illegally. They state this could pose a threat of the virus transmitting faster.
216 such complaints in the city
BBMP officials have confirmed that they have received 216 such complaints in the city. The officials told that most of them have avoided the highways and entered the state using alternate roads. These people are also said to have traveled late at night so that they would not be caught by the police and be subjected to quarantine.
BBMP Chief BH Anil Kumar responds
BBMP Chief BH Anil Kumar has responded to the issue. He has directed the officials to trace these returnees and initiate criminal proceedings against them. An FIR will be filed against these individuals.
Meanwhile, the agency has also issued guidelines for returnees from other states. As part of this notice, the agency has also asked all returnees who came to the city without informing authorities from May 7th to register on Whatsapp.
Apparently, the government only announced quarantine rules for returnees from other states on May 12th. However, inter-state movement had been allowed on May 7th itself and hence, many such people who entered Bengaluru between May 7th and May 12th have gone out of the radar.
Source: Times of India
