No entry to outsiders: Uttar Pradesh’s village seals itself to prevent COVID-19 spread

Bulandshahr: Unlike the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the second wave has found its way to the Indian villages.

Several villages in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and other states have reported a sharp rise in infection and deaths.

In such a situation, the Parwana village in UP’s Bulandshahr district has decided to ban the entry of outsiders in a bid to prevent the import of the virus.

The residents have put up barricades at the entry points of the village and placed a banner which reads: “Entry of outsiders in the village is prohibited - by order district administration”.

The decision was taken after over two dozen persons died in the past one and a half months, ostensibly due to COVID-19.

“There have been several deaths due to natural causes too. Widespread sampling was done on May 5 and 41 villagers tested positive out of 160. More samples were taken after that and the report is awaited,” Subhash Singh, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Syana was quoted as saying by IANS.

The village head, Syoraj Singh, said that 28 to 30 people have died in just over a month. "The deceased include both, elderly and the young," he said.

Syoraj Singh said that people are ill in every second house. Each time the condition of a person deteriorates, we have to rush him to a hospital in Bulandshahr city, which is about 20 km away.

District magistrate of Bulandshahr, Ravindra Kumar, said that several teams have been sent to the village and the situation will be brought under control soon.

"This (the deaths) did come to my notice. I immediately spoke to the health department officials. We have sent screening teams to the village. People who have tested Covid-19 positive have been put in isolation," he said.

The villagers are following COVID guidelines such as maintaining social distancing and sanitization.