Jagannathprasad: Exercising his collector’s power, the sarpanch of Jagannathprasad panchayat in Ganjam district clamped a 24-hour complete shutdown in the whole panchayat, starting Monday 9am.
Sarpanch Debi Prasad Mohapatra said the shutdown was to check the spread of the infection as two male health workers working in the panchayat tested positive for the coronavirus infection.
Swab samples of the health workers were collected and sent for tests before their reports came out to be positive Saturday night. They were immediately shifted to COVID-19 hospital, Berhampur. Subsequently, shutdown was announced at Indragarh Sahi in Jagannathprasad panchayat.
It is yet to be ascertained as to how the health workers have contracted virus. However, they were learnt to be doing registration of returnees at several quarantine centres. Meanwhile, swab samples of their family members have also been collected and sent for test and they have been asked to go under home quarantine. This apart, swab samples of all the staff of the health centres the infected duo work at have also been collected and sent for test.
Jagannathprasad block development officer (BDO) Suresh Chandra Panda and local inspector-in-charge (IIC) Yuvaraj Swain are closely monitoring the situation.
During the 24-hour shutdown, a list of those coming in contact with the health workers will be prepared and simultaneously a health team will make door to door visits to check health condition of the residents. “If required, the period of the shutdown will be extended further,” said the sarpanch.
PNN