PURI: The district administration on Monday declared a portion of Grand Road and Narendrakona in Puri town as a containment zone in the wake of a crime accused, who was a resident of the area, testing COVID-19 positive.
The SDJM Court where he was produced on Saturday, was also closed down for sanitisation. Lawyers who interacted with him including an assistant public prosecutor will also be tested for the infection. Collector Balwant Singh said public movement in the zone has been restricted and contact tracing of the patient is underway.
The containment zone extends from Grand Road market Chowk to Akshya Patra Lane at Grand Road and continues till Narendrakona lane, Narendrakona Chowk and Bramha Jaga Mahavir temple Chowk under Ward 21 and 22.
The shutdown will continue till further orders of the administration. Essential commodities and medical requirements of people in the zone would be met by various teams of officials under the direction of executive officer of Puri Municipality.
The accused, who had returned from New Delhi, is being suspected as a super-spreader as he had moved around the town and met several people before being arrested by Kumbharpara police on Thursday in connection with a snatching case. He was produced in SDJM court along with two others. They were remanded in judicial custody at Puri District Jail.
He was symptomatic and his swab samples were sent for test which came out positive on Sunday. Following this, the entire staff of Kumbharpara police station have been quarantined and their swab samples sent for test.
Jail Superintendent M Patra said the prison has been completely sanitised and his contact tracing within the facility is on.