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Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 9 (EMN): In a surprising incident on June 7, a bus driver in full personal protection equipment (PPE) gear was spotted at a shop in New Market colony, which subsequently created fear among the residents.
On the afternoon of June 7, a youth from the neighbouring Nagabazar colony, who was on his way home in a scooty, saw the driver parking his bus and getting down to buy his needs at the shop on the roadside. The driver, who was in full PPE suit on Covid-19 duty, drove past New Market area in the afternoon on a white bus, which was used for ferrying returnees to the designated quarantine and Covid-19 centres.
The incident came to light after this newspaper was informed about the incident by a member of Nagabazar colony on Tuesday night.
Speaking to Eastern Mirror, Kekhriesetuo Sekhose, the youth who spotted the driver said, he was "shocked and felt funny at the same time" to see an assigned driver on Covid-19 duty parking his bus and getting down to the shop.
He stated that public are advised to maintain social distancing and adhere to other safety measures to avoid any chance of coming in contact with any person who has tested positive for Covid-19.
However, Sekhose was completely taken aback when he saw a driver in full PPE gear standing by the shop. He also wondered how the shopkeeper allowed him to buy the food items after seeing him in such an outfit.
The youth informed that he took the picture of the driver at the shop from his mobile phone while sitting on his scooty. However, the number of the bus could not be ascertained since the picture appeared to be somewhat blurry.
Sekhose said he was uncomfortable to go for a close-up shot ‘fearing the man’ geared in full PPE suit and wearing gloves. The bus was without any passengers, he said.
Following the incident, the news went viral in New Market colony and the residents questioned as to whether the "irresponsible driver" stopped by the shop after or before dropping off returnees to designated quarantine centres or Covid-19 hospitals.
A medical officer told this newspaper that any driver or person in PPE gear is not supposed to stop by at any location orstation.
Officials from the New Market Area Panchayat (NWAP) and New Market Youth Organisation (NMYO), who were alerted about the news on late Monday night, took prompt action by calling the KMC truck to spray disinfectant on the shop and surrounding areas the following morning.
The shopkeeper, while interacting with this newspaper, confirmed that a man dressed in PPE got down from his bus and came to her shop to buy eatable items.
The girl, however, admitted that she had no knowledge about people dressed in protective suits were those on Covid-19 duty.
Further, Ruokuobeizo Nyusou, NMAP chairman, has cautioned the shopkeepers not to entertain any person in PPE gears at their shops and reminded them to immediately report of such persons stopping by along the highway to the concerned authority.