Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Wednesday clarified that no one has been reported to be affected by coronavirus from anywhere in the state although 115 people were kept in home isolation.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday reviewed the corona situation in the state and the government decided to write to the Union Health Ministry to make arrangements for blood and swab tests of patients for coronavirus.
State Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) Secretary Nikunja Dhal told newspersons that so far no reports of any one affected by coronavirus was reported from anywhere in the state.
Director Medical Education and Training CBK Mohanty said an Indian couple working in a Singaporean cargo ship was admitted to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack, after the man developed mild fever on his arrival at Paradip port from China.
The man was referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital after he developed fever and cough.
Mohanty said the blood and swab samples have been sent to RMRC which would be sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune for test adding that the report is expected in three days.
Mohanty said a decision was taken to launch a digitised campaign to educate people about the do and don’ts of coronavirus.
A person was admitted to VIMSAR and another to a hospital in Keonjhar on suspicion of being infected by the virus.
Meanwhile, in an advisory, the state government has asked people to avoid visiting crowded places like markets, malls and gatherings and keep away from people suffering from cold and cough as a precautionary measure.
The government also advised people to avoid hugging, shaking hands while greeting and keep their work place clean to ward off coronavirus infection.
People were asked to clean their hands frequently with soap and sanitizer to prevent spread of nCoV.
The state government asked the employers to ensure workplace cleanliness and cleaning of the surfaces, desks and tables, telephone, keyboards regularly with disinfectant.
School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said since no positive case has been reported in the state and various examinations are going on the schools will not be closed now.