One-third of all Odisha COVID-19 cases have Bengal link: Officials

Odisha government has sounded alert over rising cases of coronavirus in the state, saying one-third of COVID-19 positive cases have West Bengal link. The state government has also directed all the district collectors to remain alert on people returning from West Bengal.

Bhubaneswar:Voicing concern over one-third of state's 74 COVID-19 cases having West Bengal link, Odisha government on Monday asked district collectors to remain alert on people's movement and trace out all who returned from the neighbouring state in last 28 days.

The state government's direction in this regard came soon after the Health and Family Welfare department said that 10 the 13 of the fresh corona cases (5 each from Bhadrak and Jajpur districts) reported within 24 hours, have West Bengal link.

"The state government has asked all the district collectors to remain alert on people returning from West Bengal. At least 24 of the state's 74 COVID-19 positive cases have West Bengal link," state government's COVID-19 Spokesperson Subroto Bagchi said during a media briefing here.

He pointed out that 10 West Bengal returnees, five each in Bhadrak and Jajpur district - have tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

Bagchi said that the detection of more COVID-19 positive cases is a good sign as it minimizes risk and prevents uncontrolled spread.

"At the same time, it is a matter of concern for the state that many people work in the West Bengal and they travel between the two states. One should be very alert," he stated.

Bagchi further said that apart from the administration, the local panchayats and urban local bodies too have a major role to play to stop the spread of the disease.

"Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday accorded the power of collector to sarpanch and executive officers of different urban local bodies. These people will actually ensure detection of the people who returned from West Bengal and keep them in quarantine," he added.

Read:Five more COVID-19 hospitals launched in Odisha

Meanwhile, the Health and Family Welfare Department in its official twitter handle appealed to people who returned from West Bengal, to voluntarily come forward for corona test and keep themselves in home or hospital quarantine.

"Ten persons of Bhadrak and Jajpur districts with travel history to West Bengal have tested positive for COVID-19 during last 24 hours. All with travel history to WB during last 28 days are requested to inform the local sarpanch, BDO/Tahasildar and quarantine themselves at home," the Health and Family Welfare department said in its twitter post.

Jajpur Collector Ranjan Kumar Das also appealed to people in his district to inform the administration about the persons returning from West Bengal in recent past. "We appeal, local panchayat, urban local body elected members, members of the public and all to help the administration in tracing more COVID-19 positive cases in the district," the collector said.

Apart from the fresh 10 positive cases from Bhadrak and Jajpur districts, 14 other COVID-19 afflicted people have West Bengal link. As many as eight persons detected as COVID-19 positive at Surya Nagar area in Bhubaneswar, had also Kolkata link.

"One woman from Surya Nagar visited Kolkata and she transmitted to seven others including her elderly parents in Surya Nagar," an official said calling her a "super spreader" in Odisha.

Similarly, a young girl from Kendrapara district also got infection from Kolkata where her father worked as a plumber.

(PTI report)