Gujarat Woman Booked For Flying To New Zealand With COVID Positive Child

A woman from the Nikol district of Ahmedabad was booked by police for allegedly travelling to New Zealand on December 23 with her four-year-old daughter who tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a report, the police lodged an FIR at the Nikol police station against the 32-year-old woman identified as Hiralben Dungrani who lives in Vishwa Residency in the district. The police stated that Dungrani's daughter tested positive for the virus on December 23 and the mother still took her to New Zealand on the same night.

Gujarat Woman Flies To New Zealand With COVID-19 Positive Daughter:

The incident reportedly came to light when the health officials at Ahmedabad reached Dungrani's home for inspection on December 24 and could not find them. That is when the police were informed. A medical officer Dr Shefali Patel of the Nikol Urban Health Centre, East Zone, AMC, said, "After the child tested positive for coronavirus on December 23 morning, AMC asked her mother Hiral to keep her in quarantine for 14 days. However, when we arrived at her residence on December 24 morning, the patient was not found."

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She added that the patient's maternal grandfather informed them that both the mother and daughter flew to New Zealand on December 23 to join Dungrani's husband.

As per a report by Indian Express, inspector of Nikol police station VD Zala said, "We took cognisance of the complaint and lodged an FIR against the mother under IPC sections 270 for malignant act likely to spread infection of a disease, 188 for disobedience to order given by public servant, and Section 3 of the epidemic diseases act for disobeying an order. AMC officials have informed us that they will take up the matter with the authorities in New Zealand."

Deputy health officer Dr Ashwin Kharadi told the publication that the health department has asked the Gujarat government to take the matter with the authorities in New Zealand.