A team of health, police and civil administration officials rushed to Kayasthagram village in Assam’s Karimganj district on Saturday afternoon after a truck driver, who tested positive for Covid-19 in neighbouring Tripura on Friday night, returned to his native place.
Nilambazar circle officer Wadiul Islam said they got information that a truck driver entered Kayasthagram village, 25km from Karimganj town, on May 6 from Tripura and was at his residence since then. Health workers collected swab samples of 23 people, including the driver, on Saturday and sent them to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for testing.
Islam also confirmed that all 23 members of his family have been kept under home quarantine. A poster has been pasted outside his house and security personnel deployed.
Islam said the driver looked healthy.
Later in the evening, the Assam-Tripura border was shut for passenger movement by the Karimganj district administration.
Deputy commissioner Anbamuthan MP told The Telegraph that the order would come into effect from midnight. He said essential services vehicles would ply normally barring the curfew hours.
Tripura law minister Ratan Lal Nath later said: “A truck driver tested positive for coronavirus on Friday. When he entered Tripura through the Churaibari checkpost along the border with Assam, we collected his samples. He unloaded his goods and returned to Karimganj. We received his report on Friday. We immediately informed the Karimganj administration and he is now under medical supervision.”
Additional reporting by Tanmoy Chakraborty in Agartala