Coronavirus outbreak: Woman with no travel history, no symptoms whisked away by BMC By Hemal Ashar | Mumbai

When the bewildered woman and her family asked the officials who had complained, they were told that the complaint had come from the Prime Minister's Office.

It was business as usual on Thursday night for a family of three — husband, wife and their daughter — in Kalina. They had sat down for their dinner when someone knocked on the door. It was a team of BMC officials and two uniformed policemen. They told the family that there has been a complaint that the lady had symptoms of COVID-19.

I have no symptoms, I have not stepped out of my building since the lockdown. I have absolutely no travel history. When we asked them who had complained, we were told that the complaint had come from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). My family and I just cannot understand it," the woman told mid-day.

The frazzled middle-aged woman changed her clothes and packed a small bag to leave.

She said, "I told the BMC officials that I won't go to the quarantine centre alone. My husband was allowed to accompany me. We were then bundled off to the quarantine centre in an ambulance."

Neighbours supported

The couple said the entire building where they have lived for four years came out in their support, and told the BMC officials that she has not stepped out of the building since the lockdown.

A society committee member confirmed the same to told mid-day. "We all supported her and told the officers that 'aunty' does not even step out of the building. Yet, they seemed to have some list from the PMO's office, where her name and address were mentioned."

Quarantined in hotel

The woman has been quarantined in a hotel in Santacruz East, where she is staying with her husband, who has not been tested.

"A test for the novel Coronavirus was done on Friday afternoon, I will know the results only two-three days later. My husband is with me, while my daughter is at home. The accommodation is clean. We were given puri-bhaji and dal for lunch. I have no complaints about the accommodation or food," she said.

"But I am still wondering why am I here in the first place? Why are we not given any details [of the complaint]?"she asked, completely flummoxed.

Plaint on Aarogya Setu app

Top BMC officials told mid-day that "the person has been put in quarantine because of a complaint from the PMO office. This means there is a complaint from Aarogya Setu app received by the Maharashtra government."

The woman confirmed to mid-day that she had downloaded the Aarogya Setu app and filled in the information.

Another officer said, "The action was taken on the basis of a message from the state government to the ward office. This may have something to do with contact tracing. This is a purely precautionary measure."

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