Port Blair, Aug 23: In a shocking development six members of Great Andamanese Tribes were tested positive in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, raising eyebrows over the safety of the primitive tribal community.
However, one member of the Great Andamanese Tribes has already been tested negative, leaving only five presently active.
Presently other than six tribal members, two other non-tribal family members of actual tribal people, were also tested positive, sources told Andaman Sheekha.
The Great Andamanese are indigenous people of the Andaman Group of Islands. At present there are about 56 members of Great Andamanese Tribes alive and are living in the Andaman Islands other than these, there are nearly 18 other family members who are non-Tribals.
As per details on 8 August 2020, 35 members of Great Andamanese Tribes were tested for COVID19 out of which four people were tested positive.
Among these four, one person is a non-tribal family member while three were Great Andamanese Tribes. Out of these three people one tested negative recently while two are still admitted in COVID19 Isolation Ward of G B Pant Hospital.
Meanwhile on 20 August 2020 again RTPCR, Covid19 tests were conducted on 36 members of Great Andamanese Tribes out of which again four people were tested positive out of which three are Tribals while another one is Non-Tribal family member.
At present these three members of Great Andamanese Tribes and two others, who were tested positive in the 8 August test are active COVID19 Positive.
Out of a total of five members of Great Andamanese Tribes, four people are admitted in the COVID19 ward of G B Pant Hospital in Port Blair while one member is in home isolation, an officer of Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samity (AAJVS) told Andaman Sheekha,on the condition of anonymity.
According to the officer, considering the safety of Great Andamanese Tribes, other than the active cases, all other members of the Great Andamanese Tribal Community who were living in Port Blair have been sent back to Strait Island, which is earmarked for only Great Andamanese Tribes.
“Our men are on high alert and have kept dinghies and boats already to evacuate anyone from Strait Island, in case anyone develops any symptoms of COVID19 or any other emergency,” the officer added.
Sources said that RTPCR tests were conducted on members of Great Andamanese Tribes on 8 and 20 August 2020, because before sending all Tribal people to Strait Island for safety, it is mandatory to conduct the test.
“This virus does not know who and what a person is. Now we are trying our best to ensure no tribal succumbs to death. We are trying everything to save them,” the officer of AAJVS added.