Port Blair, April 19: With the 12^th Case in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands testing positive, there seems to be a lot of confusion prevailing with blame game and concerns even by the Health Authorities.

The 12^th case is of a Police Radio Officer, who continued his duties till he fell ill. In the meanwhile, the Radio Officer had met several people including his relatives and colleagues who had later moved from Port Blair. In one such concern, there were a group of 62 police personnel who were sent to North & Middle Andaman to replace the team posted in the East Island, a crucial place which is one of the entry points of the foreign poachers.

According to the health authorities, the team of 62 police personnel moved on the 17^th April 2020, the very day the 12^th case was detected. As soon as the new case was detected, two of the police personnel who are suspected to have come in contact with the 12^th case were detained and quarantined at Rangat.

Sources inform that the remaining team proceeded to the North Andaman as per schedule. Later, one more police personnel was detained and quarantined at CHC Diglipur, thus indicating the suspicion of spread of the virus to the N&M Andaman District. Samples of all three in quarantine are being tested at the RMRC.

Meanwhile 33 persons have been put on quarantine inside the vehicle ferry at Middle Strait and one of the relatives of the 12^th case has been put on institutional quarantine at Baratang, sources inform.

In a post on a WhatsApp group, the Chief Medical Officer, CHC Rangat commented, “How the persons with contact history were transported from Port Blair to North Andaman on 17^th by STS bus leaving two persons at Rangat. North and Middle Andaman till date is free of infection and declared as green zone. How the infection may spread in N and M Andaman due to wrong decision of the authorities”. 

The concerns raised by the Chief Medical Officer cannot be ruled out, since the transportation of Police Personnel on 17^th April 2020 to N&M Andaman District is one unexpected blunder. While the security of the islands is a top priority for the Police personnel posted in hard areas such as East Island, the suspicion of spreading the virus to areas like N&M Andaman by the government officials on duty is a matter of concern now.