She was aboard a Chennai-Coimbatore bus when she claimed she was tested positive for COVID-19 three days ago.
A prank about being infected by the coronavirus disease by a research scholar in Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) landed her in trouble in Chennai on Friday.
According to reports, the PhD scholar was aboard a bus from Chennai to Coimbatore on Friday afternoon. Around the same time, the state nodal officer and the Joint Director of Public Health received a call from a man, who said that one of his co-passengers aboard a bus had claimed that she had tested positive for COVID-2019 three days ago.
On receiving calls about this, the state machinery swung into action, called up the bus driver and told him to halt the bus and wait. As per the instructions of the government, the driver halted the bus at Melmaruvathur and waited for the officials to reach the spot.
Upon reaching the spot, the officials found the passenger who created the panic missing and inquired about her. The others who were travelling with the scholar told the officials that as the bus crossed Perungalathur, she told the driver to stop the bus. When he did not listen to her, she announced that she is infected with coronavirus.
The health officials counselled the other passengers, gave them hand sanitisers and told them to continue their journey.
Meanwhile, the state’s police and health officials traced the scholar using the details she gave while booking her ticket. When the officials told her to come down to the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) office for an inquiry, she allegedly refused. After the officials threatened her with initiating criminal action against her, she reportedly cooperated and told them that she and her friends were playing ‘truth or dare’. Her announcing that she is infected with coronavirus disease was a part of a ‘dare’ in the game. She tendered an unconditional apology to the DMS and was let off with a stern warning.
Source: The News Minute