Daughters design ‘quarantine room’ for dad who returned from Spain

Daughters design ‘quarantine room’ for dad who returned from Spain

MT.Saju@timesgroup.com

11.06.2020

Roshna Keerthi and her sister Saira Mahati missed their father a lot after he got stuck in Madrid since March due to Covid-19 outbreak. However, when the little ones heard that their father would be landing in Chennai on Monday, both started jumping but with a note of caution. The children knew how dangerous the virus was, so they decided to decorate a quarantine room for their father Gopinath Chandran.

Eleven-year-old Roshna and seven-year-old Saira first prepared a list of materials including sanitizer and gloves that they wanted to buy. With the help of their mother, the duo organised it in a couple of days. They then worked on some drawings, illustrations and instructions on the safety aspects to avoid the spread of Covid-19. Finally, some home-made candles in case if the power went off. Once the room was set, they pasted an illustration saying “Quarantine Room” on the door.

As Gopinath entered his apartment in Kolapakkam (after a week’s institutional quarantine in Delhi), both Roshna and Saira welcomed him wearing masks. They then requested him to use the sanitizer kept at the entrance. The children showed him the room where he should undergo institutional quarantine for a week.

“Hi, Appa, welcome to quarantine room B44. All your necessities will be available at your doorstep. And you will be provided with breakfast, lunch, snacks, tea and dinner,” they wrote on a paper and placed it on the wall itself. Gloves, tissue paper, sanitizer and soap were kept on a table inside the room.

“We have been hearing a lot about Covid-19 for the past three months. We were very upset when we heard that our father got stuck in Madrid. We were eagerly waiting for him but at the same time, we wanted to take care of him the best we could. And that’s how we started to design a quarantine room for him,” said Roshna and Saira.

At a time when many don’t follow safety measures, Roshna and Saira show the world how prevention is better than cure. How did they get the idea?

“I booked through Vande Bharat Mission and I got a ticket to Delhi, where I landed on May 31. I took institutional quarantine at a hotel in Delhi for a week. I used to tell my daughters how I was treated there. I think they got the idea from it only,” said Gopinath, a software consultant.

Both Roshna and Saira agree, but they also want to give credit to various awareness drives. “We hear a lot about the outbreak of Covid-19 these days. A cure for this virus is not yet out, so we should never take chances. I am very upset that I am not able to spend time with my father, but I know it’s my responsibility to follow the safety measures,” said Roshna.

A TOUCH OF COLOUR: The children have ensured that following stringent safety norms do not become cumbersome for the family