PU professor hid his travel history

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 13

In a shocking revelation, an assistant professor of Panjab University, who was tested positive for Covid-19, was found to have travelled to Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa the fact he did not share with the UT officials.

The officials today came to know that the assistant professor had a travel history through his mobile phone tower location.

Sec 37 man returned home on March 10

• The PU assistant professor had returned to his Sector 37 house from a tour of three states on March 10.
• His mother-in-law, who has also tested positive, had come to his house from Delhi between March 15 and 17.

“Till now, we were under an impression that he had no travel history as this is what he had told us. We had been trying to trace the source of transmission for three days. After we did not get through, we yesterday got his phone tower location checked. Today, it came to light that he had returned to his Sector 37 house from a tour of three states on March 10,” said the officials concerned.

The university faculty is on a ventilator in the hospital at present. His mother-in-law, who has also tested positive, came to his house from Delhi between March 15 and 17. Thus, officials could not zero in on whether the 40-year-old man got this virus or his mother-in-law got it while coming from Delhi.

“We cannot say who among the two got the virus and transmitted it to others. In such circumstances, the status of the Delhi woman’s family members had to be checked first. As in the case of the man, we cannot state whom he got the virus from while travelling to different places,” shared the officials.

After he was found positive for Covid, his eight-year-old daughter and mother-in-law were tested and found infected too.

In respite to the authorities concerned, about 12 other persons, who came in touch with him, have tested negative for the virus. They include his two friends, a milkman and a grocery shop owner.

About 135 persons, who had come in contact with the assistant professor, have been home-quarantined. After 12 of them, whose samples were taken, tested negative, health and UT officials heaved a sigh of relief.