COVID-19: ‘Used Soap And Water,’ Say Kerala Officials After Video Emerges of People Being ‘Disinfected’ | Earth Indian

New Delhi: Authorities in Kerala said that they only used ‘a combination of soap and water,’ after a video, similar to the one from Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, emerged from the state.

In the video that came out of Bareilly, officials in full protective gears can be seen spraying a group of migrant workers with bleach, which is toxic to humans, thus triggering massive outrage. The workers were made to sit on a road, and the ‘disinfectant’ was sprayed on them.

Taking cognisance, the Bareilly DM assured action against concerned officials, however, ‘clarifying’ that teams of Bareilly Municipal Coroporation and fire brigade department had been directed to sanitise buses, but due to their ‘overenthusiasm,’ they ended up ‘disinfecting’ the migrants as well.

इस वीडियो की पड़ताल की गई, प्रभावित लोगों का सीएमओ के निर्देशन में उपचार किया जा रहा है। बरेली नगर निगम एवं फायर ब्रिगेड की टीम को बसों को सैनेटाइज़ करने के निर्देश थे, पर अति सक्रियता के चलते उन्होंने ऐसा कर दिया। सम्बंधित के विरुद्ध कार्रवाई के निर्देश दिए गए हैं। https://t.co/y8TmuCNyu5

— District Magistrate (@dmbareilly) March 30, 2020

However, hours later, a video of people being ‘disinfected’ in a similar manner in Kerala, emerged on social media. Reacting to this, the state fire department officials said that they had only used ‘a combination of soap and water.’

For those questioning UP's move to spray disinfectant on migrants. Well, this video is from Kerala. Kerala Fire Service personnel spraying disinfectant on those who are entering the state.
Any thoughts on this ?
Video credits – @CjVarghese96 pic.twitter.com/5mWmG4OTm8

— Kushal Kumar Sinha (@KushalSinha001) March 30, 2020

“This was being done irrespective of religion, caste or background, as a strong precautionary measure since Wayanad at that time, did not have even a single case,” a senior police official was quoted as saying.

Notably, in the video, which is from last week, a group of around 40 bikers on the Kerala-Karnataka border are seen being sprayed with a ‘disinfectant.’

Kerala, which is one of the two worst COVID-19 affected states in the country-the other being Maharashtra-has thus far registered 234 positive cases of the virus, including one casualty and 20 who recovered.

By Shivam Urkude || Earth Indian