BHUBANESWAR : With emergence of a new and more virulent strain (N440K) of coronavirus in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Odisha government on Tuesday imposed stricter measures in the bordering districts to monitor flow of people from both the states. Anyone coming to Odisha from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by personal or hired vehicle, trains and flights will have to undergo mandatory institutional quarantine for 14 days in cluster temporary medical centres (TMCs).
The government asked the collectors of all border districts to erect check posts on all inter-state roads along Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with immediate effect and keep track of all those entering Odisha. The districts include Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena said administrations of these districts will ensure tracking of all the major and minor entry points, national highway, state highways and local roads for people coming in from these two states. Adequate police arrangements should be made for such tracking.
The TMCs to provide quarantine facilities to entrants will be managed by the block development officers (BDOs) in rural areas and executive officers of urban bodies. The SRC said the district administrations will ensure appropriate facilities and logistic support to the cluster TMCs. However, people travelling from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to other states through Odisha will be allowed without disembarking from their vehicles.
The SRC said sarpanchs, ward members and volunteers will be mobilised to create awareness in their areas and report to BDOs, police stations and local authorities about persons coming in from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who are not quarantined in institutional facilities.
N440K alert: Odisha tightens the reins on AP border
Besides, all passengers from these two states alighting at Bhubaneswar or Jharsuguda airports or at railway stations in the State will be mandatorily subjected to institutional or paid quarantine for 14 days at facilities identified by the district collectors and municipal commissioners. The SRC, however, said any person who has been successfully vaccinated (two doses) and produces the certificate or RT-PCR negative test report within 48 hours of entering Odisha will be allowed home quarantine for seven days.
If there is no suitable facility for home quarantine, such persons may opt for institutional or paid quarantine. Those found violating home quarantine will have to undergo institutional quarantine for seven days, he added. The SRC said persons coming on emergency work for management of Covid-19 by government and private hospitals or coming in for any work permitted by Odisha government will be exempted from this order. However, such persons will have to strictly follow Covid guidelines and perform minimum travel only to do the task for which he or she has been drafted, he added.
