The district administration has taken 41 persons from Hindpiri in the state capital for medical check-up and quarantined the entire locality after a 22-year-old Malaysian woman staying at a religious place in the area tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Tuesday.

“She came in contact with five families in the locality, three living on Nala Road and two on Lake Road and Nijam Nagar. We have also sent a few others she mingled with for medical tests. We are also conducting a sanitisation drive in the locality,” Ranchi subdivisional officer (SDO) Lokesh Mishra said.

The district administration on Tuesday evening sealed off the area within a 3km radius of Hindpiri and banned any kind of movement. A team of doctors and civic officials in personal protection gear took charge of the area.

However, on Wednesday morning, residents were seen loitering on the road. Rooftops of houses were crowded with people watching the clampdown and sanitisation operation.

Later, the district administration deployed two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) to push people back to their homes.

Initially, some of them were unwilling to cooperate, but things became easier after the intervention of senior Congress leader Samsher Alam and elderly residents of the area.

District and health officials were seen collecting details about the number of members in each family and their current location.

“I spoke to state health minister Banna Gupta about the situation of the locality,” Alam said. “I have requested him to start immediate screening of the residents within a 3km radius besides continuing the sanitisation drive. People are cooperating with the administration. I assured them that this is for their safety and won’t defame their locality.”

Alam said the Malaysian woman had preached at one of the buildings in Hindpiri and all its occupants had been sent for medical tests.

“I also spoke to Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and apprised him of the situation,” he said. “We lack proper facilities such as N95 masks, ventilators and other related kits and equipment. He promised to extend full support. Local residents should have informed us that a person with a travel history had been living here. That could have helped us tackle the situation better.”

10 Nepalese isolated

Ranchi police have tracked 10 Nepali nationals who were living at an under-construction religious place at Khatanga village bordering Kokdaro under Pithoria police station area.

“Before the lockdown, they were living in different houses, but later shifted to the under-construction building. They were examined by doctors and asked to stay in isolation. They will remain under watch,” officer in-charge of Pithoria police station Binod Ram said.