E-Paper
Two Odisha undertrials, assistant professor and CISF sub-inspector test positive for Covid-19
Odisha is worried especially about rising number of Covid-19 cases among the non-migrant local population.
Two undertrials lodged in Berhampur Circle Jail, an assistant professor, a sub-inspector of CISF deployed at Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik airport and anganwadi workers engaged in quarantine centres were among those who tested positive for Covid-19 as Odisha posted its highest single-day surge of 173 cases on Saturday, taking the overall count of registered infections in the state to 2,781.
State health and family welfare department officials said Covid epicentre of Ganjam district had reported 64 new cases including two people who were arrested on June 3 and 4 in connection with a murder case. The two accused lodged in Berhampur circle jail had been to a community feast with some migrant workers who had returned from outside the state. Swab samples of both accused were sent for Covid test before they were sent to the jail. The total number of coronavirus infected patients in Ganjam is now 597.
Ganjam district collector Vijay Kulange said around 20 police personnel involved in the arrest of the two accused have been asked to remain under quarantine. The first instance of an accused testing positive for coronavirus was reported earlier from Puri’s Kumbharpada police station.
Ganjam is one of the 11 districts (Jajpur, Ganjam, Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Bolangir) in the state, where two-day shutdown is being observed on Saturdays and Sundays, beginning today as people had stopped following social distancing norms.
The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19
In Bhubaneswar, an assistant professor working with Institute of Chemical Technology of Indian Oil Corporation and a sub-inspector of CISF jawan working at Biju Patnaik airport were among the five persons who tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases in Bhubaneswar has now gone up to 86, including 32 active cases and three deaths. As many as 51 patients have been cured.
A steady rise in the number of local contact cases--- people catching infection outside quarantine centres—was worrying the state government. While 27 local contact cases have been detected between May 15 and 30, 95 such cases were recorded between May 31 and June 6.
In a related development, a 6-year-old boy today died at a quarantine centre in Nuapada district, a day after he arrived with his migrant labourer parents from Andhra Pradesh. The child suffered from fever and had loose motions after arriving at the quarantine centre. However, the sarpanch refused to take the patient to a hospital at night and he passed away a few hours later, said the parents of the child.
Three departments of Odisha’s biggest university, Utkal University, in Bhubaneswar were sealed today after an employee’s contact tested positive for Covid-19. The departments of Philosophy, English and Economics departments have been sealed.
