Balasore: Concerns were raised by the top officials of Odisha government over West Bengal returnees after 24 out of 79 COVID-19 cases in the state had the travel history to West Bengal or came in contact with someone who returned from West Bengal.
In the last 24 hours, 10 positive cases from Bhadrak, Balaosre and Jajpur Districts showed travel history to West Bengal. Apart from this, 14 other Covid-19 infected people also have West Bengal link.
As many as eight persons tested Covid-19 positive at Surya Nagar area in Bhubaneswar — all had recently travelled to Kolkata.
Increased number of returnees has put the police personnel who in dock in the border area, who apparently failed to implement the lockdown guidelines. Intellectuals have also raised concerns about how police allowed the West Bengal returnees to cross the state border despite the lockdown since March 24.
Despite sealing all the borders, it has been observed that more than 15 people returned from West Bengal and tried to sneak into villages like Basudevpur and Bhandaripokhari of Bhadrak district. They were held and identified by the Panchayats in Odisha.
The Panchayats had informed the district administration and ensured that these people were placed in quarantine. The Panchayats in Odisha are playing a leading role in combating Covid-19.
Meanwhile Health and Family Welfare Department of Odisha has requested people, who had travelled to West Bengal in the last 28 days, to inform the local Sarpanch, BDO/Tahasildar and quarantine themselves at home.
Odisha Government’s Covid-19 spokesperson Subroto Bagchi Monday said panchayats have been directed to ensure that returnees from West Bengal are placed in 14-day quarantine at the government facility.
DGP Abhay will visit Balaosre Tuesday to review the strategy adopted by the Balaosore district police to implement the lockdown guidelines properly.
PNN