BERHAMPUR: Ganjam may have been relieved of the Covid hotspot tag but complacency seems to be seeping in the continued management efforts, raising fears of a fresh wave in the district. While cases continue to be reported across the district, concerned citizens have alleged that the attitude of the administration is such that the pandemic appears to have been already won over.
“In the initial phases of the outbreak, the district administration imposed stringent restrictions. Scores of doctors and officials were deputed to Ganjam on emergency basis. But now, authorities have loosened their grip and are taking it easy. This is not a good sign as the virus continues to loom large and may launch a fresh attack at the slightest of opportunity,” they said.
As per reports, while the relaxations on curbs have led to callousness among people, the preparedness of the district apparatus has also slackened. Most of the officers, doctors and other staff deputed to the district on Covid duty have returned. Even doctors here have been deputed to other districts. Meanwhile, the district administration was left red-faced after it went overboard promoting a “fake” study report purportedly by the Oxford University, appreciating Ganjam’s efforts in combating the pandemic. The Chief Minister’s office had also tweeted the news report but later deleted it as the Oxford University appreciation was unverified.
Commenting on the incident, Collector Vijay Kulange said,”The tweet was posted based on a news report of a web portal. The administration is yet to receive the contents of the survey. But we are in touch with Oxford University in this regard.”
He, however, said the growth curve of Covid-19 has flattened in Ganjam. “The turnaround was possible due to sustained efforts by frontline workers at all levels. While Ganjam reported overall confirmed caseload of 20,550, the district is left with only 189 active cases as of now,” Kulange said.