Bhubaneswar: A minor girl from Lithuania was among four persons who have been admitted to isolation wards of hospitals of Odisha on Saturday on suspicion of being infected with the novel coronavirus, officials said.
Their swab and blood samples have been sent for tests for novel coronavirus.
While the Lituania girl was admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Puri, a couple who returned from Abu Dhabi was kept in the isolation ward of the MKCH Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, officials said.
A 25-year-old man, who was studying in Italy and had returned to Odisha last week, was admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack with flu-like symptoms.
The nine-year-old girl from Lithuania came to Puri on a visit with her mother and another woman two weeks ago. Her mother took her to a private hospital as she was suffering from fever and cough, Chief District Medical Officer, Puri, Nilakantha Mishra said.
She was referred from the private hospital to the DHH where she was kept in the isolation ward, Mishra said adding that her travel history revealed that she was in India for the past two months.
The CDMO denied reports that the girl and her mother had run away from the hospital. A couple from Chikiti block in Ganjam district was admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.
The husband was working in Abu Dhabi and returned to India March 11. The man and his wife developed fever and cough three days later.
A Health and family welfare department official said a total of 141 people are under observation after they returned to Odisha from countries hit by coronavirus. “All the 21 samples sent for examination from Odisha have tested negative for COVID-19,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the state government decided to set up technical committees in district level with collector and superintendents of police as members to guide local administration to take steps to prevent spread of COVID-19.
The authorities of the Nandankanan Zoological Park here also announced closure of the zoo from Sunday till March 31, an official said adding that the Central University, Koraput has suspended classes and hostel facilities.
The government has also engaged women self help groups to manufacture low-cost masks, they said.
PNN