Chaos and panic broke once again when the Joint Deputy Director of ITBF and his five-year-old child tested positive for COVID-19 on June 8 in Leh district. The officer is alleged to have violated COVID-19 protocols and guidelines.
 
Sources said that the sample of the child was collected after the child complained of fever. However, the child has not been shifted to COVID-19 hospital despite testing positive.  Earlier, a 2-3 year old child tested positive and was shifted to a hospital in Kargil. Similarly, a mother who tested positive was kept along with her breastfeeding baby in a hospital in Leh. Also, a 10-year-old child was also admitted to the hospital upon testing positive for COVID-19. The question is why a special treatment was given to the child of an officer?
 
The family members of the officer, including mother and child, had reached Leh on May 30 by an Air India flight from a red zone in Delhi. According to sources, the officer managed to get his family out of the airport without undergoing the screening process. The family was reportedly seen visiting different places despite strict guidelines from the District Administration to stay in home quarantine for 14 days. The family was allegedly seen celebrating a birthday with a crowd of 15 people at the Sindhu Ghat on June 4.  
 
It is also alleged that the officer met Lieutenant Governor of UT Ladakh on June 5 at Raj Niwas. Also, many officials of other organisations also met him.

The Joint Deputy Director refused to talk when this correspondent tried to contact him.   
 
When the senior officials from the administration were approached by the media to comment on the issue, they chose to stay silent on the issue. However, District Magistrate Leh, Sachin Kumar Vaishya issued an order on June 9 placing the ITBF Officers Mess near the main market Leh under containment. However, employees from the Officers’ Mess allegedly violated the order from the District Magistate by joining the office on June 9.
 
The sample of close contacts has been taken and sent to the laboratory for checking.
 
The incident shows the sheer negligence and irresponsible attitude of the officer who has put many people at risk of contracting the deadly virus. It was a clear violation of COVUD-19 protocols. So, shouldn’t the guidelines be the same for everyone? Is the officer being given a VIP treatment by the administration? Also, will the administration take any action against the defaulters?