BHUBANESWAR: AMID surging Covid-19 cases, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation’s delay in isolating primary contacts of infected persons is not helping.Complaints have poured in that primary contacts in Jaydev Vihar, Satya Nagar and other areas of the city are not being quarantined, triggering fear of further spread of the disease. The Capital city reported 91 fresh cases in the last 24 hours.
Locals in Jayadev Vihar alleged that a private hospital staff living in a rented accommodation tested positive and was shifted to Covid hospital two days back. However, another medical staff living with him is neither in isolation nor any quarantine sticker pasted on the house.
Apart from the patient’s roommate, a local resident said, there are others staying on rent on the same premises. However, no quarantine sticker has been fixed on the front gate of the house to alert others. “We informed the BMC officials but in vain,” said a resident who did not wish to be named.
Similarly, residents of Satya Nagar alleged that the civic body has turned a blind eye to the violation of quarantine norms. Neighbours of a positive patient who are supposed to be in quarantine are not following the norms.
“An employee of Bhubaneswar Club staying in Satya Nagar tested positive recently. BMC officials conducted test on his family members. However, neighbours who were supposed to be in isolation for 14 days are stepping out of their houses freely”, a local said.
In Patrapada, BMC officials stuck a quarantine sticker in front of the house of a 48-year-old person two days after he tested positive. Such delay on part of the civic body reflects poorly on the efforts of the State Government in its fight against the virus, health experts feel.
BMC Deputy Commissioner Subhendu Sahu, however, said the corporation is taking prompt measures to isolate contacts as well as asymptomatic patients. “In some cases, people remove the stickers. We have urged residents to inform BMC about such incidents for effective handling of the situation,” he said.