Lockdown norms tightened Odisha to fight coronavirus battle

The Ganjam and Jagatsinghpur administrations have stepped up measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic by imposing stricter regulations for social distancing and increasing number of isolation wards across the districts.

To break the coronavirus chain, Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange on Tuesday imposed restrictions on opening of shops selling essential commodities.

From now on, shops selling groceries, vegetables, milk, meat and eggs will only remain open from 7 am to 12 pm.

He asked people to refrain from coming out in two-wheelers and four-wheelers and step out of their houses only during emergency.

He also asked 72 private hospitals across the district to open for isolation wards and deploy adequate staff. 

Meanwhile, despite the lockdown, migrant workers continued to return to the district from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

In the absence of transportation facilities, many preferred to walk to their villages from Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border.

On Monday evening, 125 labourers reached Ganjam district but they were not screened and did not register their travel history and personal details at the panchayat or block offices.

All of them have, however, voluntarily opted fro self-isolation. Sources said many of them have been suffering from flu and cough.

On the other hand, the MKCG MCH blood bank is left with only 250 units of blood which can be provided to patients in emergency situation. Blood bank officials said with the existing stock, they can only manage for four days. 

In the last fortnight, 16 persons were admitted to the isolation ward of MKCG MCH in Berhampur and 14 of them have been discharged after they tested negative for coronavirus till Tuesday.

“The rest two, who are migrant workers, also might not test positive for the disease as they have not shown any symptom yet but will be kept under observation for two more days,” said Professor Uma Shankar Mishra, in charge of the isolation ward. 

Another person who returned from Dubai on Monday has been screened, asked to go for  home isolation and visit the MCH after 14 days.

In Jagatsinghpur district, the administration has decided to add another 450 beds to the existing temporary isolation centres and deployed senior officials in eight blocks and two areas under the local civic body to implement lockdown regulations. 

Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra said the bed count will be increased at isolation centres in Paradip Yatri Nivas, Kalyan Mandap, Sarala Mandap, SVM College here besides, Adikabi Sarala Das College in Tirtol and Polytechnic at Naugaon. At least 201 temporary health camps with 8,186 beds have been opened in 198 panchayats of the district.

According to the revised regulations, weekly haats across the district will only function for limited hours once in a week. Public gathering of more than seven people will not be allowed at one time and social distancing would be maintained in the haats, he added.

Stringent action would be taken against black marketers and hoarders.

So far, 163 people have returned to Jagatsinghpur from foreign countries and seven are yet to be traced. As per reports, 53 of them have completed the 14-day quarantine period.