Keonjhar: Amid increasing cases of Covid infections in Keonjhar, local cases are also rapidly being detected in some areas, which have become a major concern for people and the administration. Fears of community spread have left the people on edge in those areas, a report said.
The district saw a sudden spike in Covid cases Thursday with 48 cases Thursday, taking the district’s tally to 246.
Of Thursday’s positive cases, 10 were detected from quarantine centres while 36 are local infections. Besides, two Covid warriors were found infected in the district. The district administration is worried over the trend in local infection cases.
Barbil municipality is the worst affected in the district. The civic body area is allegedly heading towards community spread. Barbil also accounts for 34 local infections Thursday.
Barbil has already been in shutdown while the administration has been conducting a house-to-house survey to detect suspected cases. Contact tracing of the infected people are being carried out in Barbil municipality area.
Meanwhile, two of the locally infected persons were admitted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar.
Local infection cases are also increasing in Patana, Ghasipura, Jhumpura and Sadar blocks.
What is worrying for the administration is that when Covid cases are rapidly sising, people violate Covid safety norms.
“Till date, the administration has collected Rs 16 lakh as fine from people for not wearing masks,” said Collector Ashish Thakre.
Owing to Covid norm violations, all routes to Kabitra village (under Sadar block) and Jhumpura village (under Jhumpura block) were sealed.
After two Covid warriors engaged in the district headquarters hospital were found infected with the deadly virus, the gaenecology and obstetrics ward was sealed and sanitized Thursday.
The ward was shifted to another building on the DHH premises.
Of the 246 Covid positive cases, 111 are now undergoing treatment at Covid hospitals.
PNN