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Covid-19: Odisha denies any community transmission as state count climbs to 23
Earlier in the day, Odisha chief secretary Asit Tripathy said that community transmission of the disease is yet to happen in Odisha due to the lockdown and social distancing measures undertaken. The chief secretary said the 48-hour shutdown in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Jajpur would come to an end on 8 pm Sunday, but advised people against going out en masse afterwards.
With the state reporting two more Covid-19 positive cases on Sunday, the Odisha government allayed earlier fears of community transmission of the coronavirus but asked people to adhere to the lockdown till April 14.
Two new coronavirus cases were reported from Bhubaneswar taking the total count in the state to 23. The first was a 29-year-old man from Bomikhal area of Bhubaneswar, where three brothers living in an apartment tested positive on Friday. The person who tested positive on Sunday is another brother. A 70-year-old man in the city who had returned to Bhubaneswar on March 22 from Australia also tested positive.
Earlier in the day, Odisha chief secretary Asit Tripathy made it clear that community transmission of the disease is yet to happen in Odisha due to the lockdown and social distancing measures undertaken.
“As the travel history of the fifth Covid-19 positive patient, a 60-year-old man with co-morbidity conditions was not found initially, we were scared of seeing more positive cases due to community spread. But, we contained it by sealing the area and enforcing a shutdown in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Jajpur. We have actively contained the Covid-19 hotspots during the 48-hour shutdown and hope to continue the same in the near future. The local administration has been empowered to implement the closure of possible infection hotspots for containment of the deadly virus,” he said.
Though the 60-year-old man from Bhubaneswar had no travel history, yesterday it emerged that his daughter had travelled to Kolkata and stayed there for four days. On Friday, 4 members of the man’s family and 3 members of his tenant’s family tested positive.
The chief secretary said the 48-hour shutdown in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Jajpur would come to an end on 8 pm Sunday, but advised people against going out en masse afterwards.
“Even after shutdown, people are requested to abide by the lockdown rules and avoid gatherings. Social distancing is the only weapon for containment to fight the deadly virus. You might be out to buy vegetables or grocery but will be coming back with the disease,” said Tripathy.
He further warned that the state would seal small areas if any positive cases were found anywhere in the state.
Meanwhile, a team of police in Cuttack was pelted with stones while they were undertaking regular patrolling during the 48-hour shutdown in place this morning. The attack occurred in Kesharpur area. As many as 15 people were arrested over their involvement in the incident.
Meanwhile, 400 women self-help groups in Odisha have manufactured over one million masks for distribution among people. The SHGs - under the Odisha government’s Mission Shakti programme - made around 50,000 masks every day, as part of its efforts to help the state government in its fight against the coronavirus.
Some of the SHG groups have been visiting villages across the state to generate awareness about the disease and are distributing cooked food among the poor, amid the 21-day nationwide lockdown.
