An elderly man hasbeen staying in a boat on self-quarantine in Habibpur area of Malda district after doctors advised him to go on 14-day isolation.Niranjan Haldar, a frail 65-year-old man, is staying in the boat which is tied to a bamboo pole near the bank of the Tangan, a rivulet, flowing beside Dubapara village for four days.He had come from Nabadweep in Nadia district to visit a relative in Dubapara. After he became feverish, villagers started suspecting him to be a COVID-19 patient.When he visited a nearby healthcare centrr, he was advised to go on home quarantine for 14 days."My relative does not have many rooms in his house. So, the villagers asked me to stay on a boat. My relative is providing me with food, water, and other essentials," Haldar said.The authorities of Habibpur area said they are looking into the incident and will transfer the elderly man to a proper quarantine centre.Last week, seven persons of Balarampur area in Purulia district, who had recently returned from Chennai, have been on self-quarantine on tree branches as they didn't have enough room at their homes.They were shifted to a quarantine centre later.
