Fear grips Shivalik residents after food delivery agent tests Covid+
New Delhi: A sense of fear has gripped the residents of Shivalik in Malviya Nagar after 72 families have been put in quarantine following a delivery agent in the area testing positive for Covid-19.
Residents including the elderly, in the vicinity of the house where the food was delivered, have told IANS that the incident is no short of a mental trauma amid the complete lockdown, which has restricted everybody in their homes.
Vinod Malhotra, a senior citizen in the area, said delivery of food was part of the essentials as nobody can step out. “It is really shocking that we are so close to a house where members have been quarantined after the food delivery agent was found positive. Many people in the area usually order through food delivery mobile apps. After this incident, it seems the food delivery is also not insulated from the coronavirus outbreak,” said Malhotra.
Kavita Kumar, a homemaker in Shivalik residing very close to the containment zone in Malviya Nagar, said: “We are already very close to the containment zone and now this incident occurred. My family is under stress after we learnt that the delivery agent was coronavirus positive and many families have been quarantined. We have decided not to order food at any cost. Usually, people order food from various nearby restaurants but after this incident, I think they will be more cautious.”
Bhavna Sethi, a Shivalik resident in the vicinity of the house where the food delivery agent had gone, said: “The delivery agents are not wearing masks and gloves. We don’t know where these people, who have been asked to quarantine, had gone in the local area. This adds further to our fear. This incident has really created amid the families residing in the area. We cannot make the decision either to step out to fetch essentials or order online.”
Dr. Ruby Makhija, Secretary Navjiwan Vihar, which is an adjacent colony to Shivalik, said in their locality, the deliveries including food are made up to the colony gate, from where the residents pick them up. This system is in place from the first day of lockdown.
“Residents are in favour of this system and are supporting it wholeheartedly. Only one or two households out of 270 households in the colony, insist on doorstep delivery. Our staff delivers to senior citizens. Some senior citizens staying alone are provided meals by volunteer residents. Rest almost everyone is cooking at home,” said Makhija.
IANS
