Amid the COVID-19 scare, the city denizens are clogging the Chandigarh helpline number complaints, including reporting their neighbours who came back from abroad in the recent weeks.
The complainants are requesting the local authorities to put abroad returnees under home quarantine.
More than 300 calls were received on Thursday.
Talking to The Pioneer, Yashpal Garg, CHB, CEO, who is incharge of Chandigarh control room number -112 for COVID-19, said that more than 300 calls were received on Thursday.
He said that after curfew was imposed in Chandigarh on Monday midnight, the number of calls on helpline number increased manifold.
Giving details about the types of calls received, Garg said that people have been reporting about their neighbors and others who returned from abroad recently. They are requesting that such people should be put in isolation.
Notably, the first positive COVID-19 case in the city was of a 23 year-old girl, who had returned from London recently. So far, seven positive cases have been reported till Thursday evening.
Apart from such complaints, the callers have queries about the curfew restrictions and when will the Administration give relaxations in it. The callers are also complaining about not receiving essential items like vegetables, fruits, milk among others.
Few complaints were also received regarding some offices and shops opened defying curfew orders in the city, Garg said
In view of large number of such complaints regarding non-delivery of essential items, we began calling these residents back for feedback. Numbers of 25 percent complainants were picked up randomly today and calls were made to ask them whether they got the supplies by evening or not. Most of the residents have expressed satisfaction with home delivery service that began on Thursday, he added.
This is a central control room and calls are also being received regarding issues related to police and medical assistance. Calls from all three divisions of south, east and central are being received here, Garg said.
The 24x7 helpline number was launched last week for residents to seek any query regarding the current situation amid COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Garg further said, “Earlier, about 200 calls were received on the helpline but after the imposition of curfew, the calls increased manifold due to panic among residents.”
Indefinite curfew was imposed in Chandigarh on Monday midnight to ensure social distancing to combat spread of COVID-19.
2080 rounded up for defying curfew orders As many as 2080 people were rounded up by Chandigarh police for defying curfew orders in Chandigarh.
According to the data released by UT Police, a total of 2080 people were rounded up till Thursday morning. From 7 pm on Wednesday to 7 am on Thursday, 316 people were rounded up.
So far, 904 vehicles were detailed while 84 were impounded including four wheelers and two wheelers, said an official spokesman.
Action has been taken against 64 persons under Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC. Three FIRs have been registered under Section 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) IPC, the spokesman said.
