The Da Gaon Shishu Kalyan Kendra, an orphanage in Jorhat, has been declared a containment zone by the district administration after six out of 15 children tested positive for Covid19.

However, the six children, who sleep together with the others, divided in two rooms with four mothers (who take care of them), are yet to be isolated.

Ramen Saikia, who is closely associated with the governing body of the Anath Ashram, has asked the district administration to supply food as the food supply will dry up now.

Deputy commissioner Ashok Kumar Barman has directed the officials to look into the matter immediately.

Saikia said food for the children mostly comes from people, who host birthday parties or anniversaries and feed all the inmates, with the leftover items being used as food for a few days more.

“These kinds of events were being held right up to the end despite asking them not to, due to which the Covid19 infection may have spread to the children from someone who had come from outside,” a governing body source said.

Ever since the orphanage was established in 1975, there has been no system of continuous food supply to the orphanage with rich donors or a group of individuals doing the needful.

At present, the orphanage is dependent on those, who host parties and a couple of donors, for food.

Smita Bhattacharyya is Northeast Now Correspondent in Jorhat. She can be reached at: [email protected]