Nuapada: As many as 29 persons testing positive for COVID-19 from a village under Sinapali block in Nuapada district has left the district administration in a cleft stick.
The village shares borders with Chhattisgarh and it is suspected that the tentacles of the disease might have spread from the neighbouring state to the village.
The villagers were subjected to antigen tests after they developed symptoms of COVID-19 following which 29 of them tested positive for the disease. However, the administration is mulling to do RT-PCR tests of the infected villagers. If the reports of RT-PCR also come out to be the same as those of antigen tests, the district administration will take steps for their treatment.
Meanwhile, the entire village has been sanitised. Police forces have been deployed at the two entry points from the Chhattisgarh side. As a precautionary measure, the weekly market to be held Thursday has been closed.
Back in district headquarters, meetings after meetings are being convened involving administrative officials, the chief district medical officer (CDMO), block administrative officials, Sinapali tehsildar, CDPO and the senior officers of the district health department.
Some officers have meanwhile returned from the village after taking stock of the situation. During meetings, the officials are learnt to have discussed on announcing the village a containment zone and carry out tests of all the villagers.
PNN