Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Fearing COVID-19, Kerala woman refuses her husband entry into the house

Authorities asked the husband to wait till things return to normal, amid the pandemic

Dubai: The fear of COVID-19 forced a woman, in the Indian state of Kerala, to refuse her husband entry into the house, after he returned from the United States earlier this week. Indian social media users shared news reports about the incident that happened Thenmala in the eastern side of Kollam district in Kerala.

According to the media sources, the 35-year-old man from Madurai city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, married to a woman from Thenmala, about 60 kilometres from Kollam city, flew back from the US on August 15, to meet his wife and two children.

Upon reaching home, he was allegedly denied entry into the house by his wife citing chances of COVID-19, reportedly.

He had to wait near the gate for hours as his wife denied entry to the house. He came down from the United States about a month back to his native place, before being able to return to Thenmala where his family was staying at a rented house. But the gate of the house remained locked, and his wife did not respond to his calls to open the gate.

Though the local panchayat (governing body) authorities intervened on seeing the person’s plight, his wife maintained that since there was a risk of COVID-19 spread, he could not be allowed to enter the house. He had to return as efforts of the local panchayat authorities failed.

Talking to a local news source, Thenmala village authorities who tried to sort out the issue, said: " The woman was citing chances of COVID-19 as the main reason, it seems that there were other personal issues between the couple."

Reportedly, the authorities suggested that he undergo institutional quarantine, but, he stated that he had already undergone mandatory quarantine after returning from the US.

Authorities added: “There are many people who are stranded in other districts, and are approaching us for such similar cases.”

Since the woman was adamant on her stand, the authorities intervened, and asked her to give the key of their car to the husband, and he went back to Tamil Nadu.

Kerala has reportedly been witnessing many such cases of people returning from abroad and other states facing social stigma and resistance from family, and neighbours owing to COVID-19 suspicion. Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had strongly condemned such behaviour.