BERHAMPUR: The Ganjam administration on Monday declared Lalmenta village under Chikiti block as COVID-19 hotspot after a group of labourers who had returned from Bhubaneswar and asked to remain under home quarantine, visited the Nuapada market to purchase essentials.The labourers were working at various places in Bhubaneswar. They returned to Lalmenta on Sunday and were asked to remain under home isolation after screening. However, many of them went to the market on Monday and on seeing them, locals raised a ruckus. Chikiti block officials along with police arrived at the spot and asked the labourers to return home. Later, Nuapada residents in a meeting decided to close down all the shops to avoid public gathering.
Sub-Collector SD Bhausaheb and a medical team reached the village and during verification found out that 266 labourers who were employed in Bhubaneswar, had returned from March 21 till date. While a majority has self-isolated, some of the returnees had come in contact with 46 others. Their contact tracing is underway.
Following this, the administration decided to notify the village as a hotspot and sealed its entry and exit points. On Sunday, Matia Sahi village was declared a hotspot and it was sealed after labourers from Bomikhal in Bhubaneswar reached the village.
Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange has directed all the district level officials to keep a watch on the returnees from Bhubaneswar. “Such returnees should be identified immediately and kept under home or institutional quarantine” he directed. The Collector also directed police to arrest any person who is seen on roads after 12 pm during the partial shutdown. On Monday, nine persons were fined `1000 each and five persons of rural areas imposed fine of `500 each for not wearing masks.Meanwhile, the Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) machine to test suspected patients was installed in MKCG MCH on Monday.
12 villages declared containment zones
Jajpur: The district administration on Monday declared Brahmabarada and 11 nearby villages in Rasulpur block as containment zones. These villages are Brahmabarada, Chandpur, Maheswarpur, Kothidiha, Khandas, Baliguda, Lankabalisahi, Badaraipada, Bankasahi, Sahapada, Bandhadiha and Deuli. “People in these villages shall not be allowed move out of their houses. All shops and markets will be closed and supply of essential commodities and medicines ensured through separate teams headed by local tehsildar, BDO and medical officer,” stated the order issued by Collector Ranjan Das. Earlier, the administration had sealed Brahmabarada and areas within three km radius after a man from the village tested COVID positive on Friday.