PHULBANI: In the fight against the second wave of Covid-19 which is sweeping rural areas, as many as 207 villages of Baliguda block in Kandhamal have managed to keep themselves virus-free.
Out of 14 gram panchayats and 250 revenue villages, only 43 have been infected with Covid while the rest have managed to keep the virus at bay.
Block development officer (BDO) Jagdish Kumar Sarangi attributed the trend to strict implementation of Covid protocols, immediate declaration of containment zones, closure of daily and weekly markets to check overcrowding, awareness campaigns and barring the entry of outsiders.