BHUBANESWAR: One more person tested positive for COVID-19 in the Capital on Monday taking up the total number of coronavirus cases to 89. However, the active cases in the City came down to 33 following recovery of two persons on the day.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation officials said a 25-year-old man from Damana area of the city, having travel history to Mumbai, tested positive for the virus on the day. “Contact tracing is on. Primary contacts and neighbours of the patient have been quarantined while active surveillance has been launched in the affected area,” BMC officials said.
Meanwhile, in view of the rising number of cases, specially in slum areas, BMC issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for contact tracing of people under the categories of - returnees, home or institutional quarantine, local cases (slum and non-slum areas) and patients in general hospitals.
The SOP states that in case a returnee in home quarantine tests Covid positive, family members will be considered primary contacts. Some of the immediate neighbours and nearby shops which the patient would have frequented will also be taken as contacts. They will be put under home quarantine and have to undergo Covid test if they develop any symptoms during the period.
Similarly, if a returnee tests positive for the virus during institutional or paid quarantine, the support staff of the facility and co-passengers, besides driver (in case of travel in private facility) will be considered contacts. All, including asymptomatic cases, will be quarantined and tested. The quarantine facilities will also be properly disinfected.
For cases related to slums, contact tracing will be exhaustive and aggressive. The Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) will visit the slum and identify cluster within which the families will be quarantined. Active surveillance will continue for 7 to 14 days.
For non-slum areas the family members and close relatives will be taken as primary contacts and persons from places which the patient visited frequently will be considered secondary contacts.
Neighbours, nearby shopkeepers and vendors having contact will also be home quarantined and subject to active surveillance for at least a week.
On the other hand, doctors, para-medics and attendants in general hospitals will be put under quarantine and their test will be done after 5 to 7 days if any person tests positive for the virus during his/her visit.