CUTTACK: People returning to their natives places following the lockdown and closure of workplaces in other states due to coronavirus are now unwanted in their own soil. In a disturbing instance, a man arriving from Bangalore had to walk 30 km to reach his village near Niscintakoili market after alighting a train at Jagatpur station on Thursday night. He approached buses, cars and autorickshaw to take him home but everyone refused over fear of coronavirus. With no other option, the man is reported to have walked the entire distance lugging his heavy bags along.
Such has become the coronavirus dread the among locals that they fear to give lift to people coming from outside. In another instance, 15 people who are employed in companies in Kerala, Surat, Gujarat, Mumbai and Bangalore returned to their villages in Banki on Friday but were made evident that they were not welcome. Raising concern over their health status, Bilipada Matrisahi villagers convened a meeting and decided to report the matter to local health facility for necessary check up.
“We are scared as many relatives are returning and most of them have not been screened. The possibility of carrying the virus with them cannot be ruled out. We have decided to report any person returning from outside Odisha,” said a villager.
Though there is no record with the district administration on the number of people working in other states and those returning to their villages in the wake of spread of COVID-19, sources said more than 30,000 people are working in different states and nearly 10,000 of them have returned till now.
The administration should keep a tab on people returning home from their workplaces in other states and take necessary steps to screen them immediately, said a health expert. Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani said so far 121 persons belonging to the district have recently returned from foreign countries and have registered their name.
“We are keeping a close watch on them and have advised villagers to inform us if anyone is found with suspected symptoms,” said Chayani and added that steps would be taken to identify and screen people returning from outside states.