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As Covid-19 cases rise, Odisha enforces shutdown and quarantine in many towns
The administration in 11 districts in Odisha have been enforcing two-day weekend shutdowns to contain the spread of Covid-19 .
As Covid-19 cases in Odisha crossed 6,000 and number of active cases neared 2,000, some coronavirus hotspots in the state have started enforcing strict shutdown and quarantine conditions to prevent further spread of the virus.
In Ganjam district, where the number of cases have crossed 1,100 the local administration started a complete shutdown from Saturday to Tuesday allowing only opening of medicine shops and delivery of milk.
“Since a large number of non-resident Odias have returned to the district over the past one month, the corona positive cases have increased. We will have to be more alert and cautious. People of rural areas should not visit the urban areas in the district for next 15 days unless there is an emergency.” said Ganjam district collector Vijay Amrit Kulange.
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In the last 24 hours, Ganjam district reported 58 new Covid-19 cases including 13 policemen taking the tally to 1,195, out of which 811 have recovered and 375 still in various hospitals. So far nine people in the district have succumbed to the virus.
Following the footsteps of Ganjam, the administration of Gajapati too decided to enforce complete shutdown in the district from June 28 to June 30 to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Since the beginning of June, the administration in 11 districts including Khurda where cases are going up regularly, have enforced two-day weekend shutdowns.
In Bhubaneswar, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has meanwhile announced compulsory 14-day institutional quarantine for those returning to the city slums from other Covid hotspots like Ganjam, Cuttack, Balasore, Gajapati and Jajpur. They will have to undergo institutional quarantine before moving into the slums, said Municipal Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary.
With 282 cases in the last 17 days, many of them home quarantine cases, officials said the institutional quarantine will be enforced strictly as social distancing conditions are impossible in slums areas. “Social distancing is not possible in slums because of high population density. In such a situation, asymptomatic people can spread the virus to many others,” he said.
Similarly, in Puri town, where the nine-day Rath Yatra is underway, the district administration is going to impose a 48-hour curfew in the district from the night of June 30 to July 2 morning, said district collector Balwant Singh.
