West Bengal`s migrant workers who traveled back from Chennai quarantine themselves on tree branches

Purulia: In a strange incident, seven migrant workers who had returned to their village in Vangid, Balarampur, West Bengal  from Chennai, quarantined themselves under the branches of tree in order to avoid the risk of spreading coronavirus among their family members.

The workers made this decision as they had no separate rooms at their homes for isolation as their families live in a single-room mud-hut. On realising that their presence at home might invite danger to their family members the workers made this decision. 

The seven youths from Bhangidigram worked in a factory in Chennai which was closed due to the lockdown called by the Indian government. Immediately after the closure of the factory, the workers boarded train for Kharagpur and got their medical check up done after which doctors had advised them to stay in Quarantine for 14 days though none of them were tested positive. 

The food is supplied to them by their families and they have tied cot bamboo using ropes in the branches to take rest. These makeshift camps on tree are otherwise, used by villagers in Purulia to observe elephant movement and to safeguard themselves from elephant attacks.

The migrant workers are setting an example for the entire village to stay safe and alert during the coronavirus outbreak. They are staying in the branches since Monday (March 23,2020).

Meanwhile, in India the coronavirus cases has gone up to 918 out of which 819 are active cases, 79 recovered, 19 deaths and 1 migrated patient.