Buxar emerges as new Covid-19 hotbed

BUXAR: With 14 fresh cases reported on Wednesday, Buxar turned out to be the third Covid-19 hotspot of the state.
The district’s total tally is now 40. The highest number of cases have been reported from Munger, which has 92 positive cases, followed by Patna with 39 cases.
According to state health department principal secretary Sanjay Kumar’s tweet on Wednesday, “The 12 fresh cases include a six-month-old and a one-year-old girl child.All cases are from Naya Bhojpur village, which falls under the Dumraon sub-division of the district.”
Incidentally, the first two positive cases were also reported from the same village on April 13. The two Covid-19 positive villagers had returned from West Bengal’s Asansol on March 30, where they worked as construction workers. “Almost all Covid-19 positives in the district are part of the chain created by Asansol-returned migrant workers. Areas falling withing 3 km radius of the village has been declared as containment zone. The entire zone, including the village, is being sanitized everyday, while suspects have been quarantined,” an official of the district administration said.
Those tested positive include tobacco sellers, a washerman, a grocer and a petrol station worker, besides the family members of Asansol-returned villagers and neighbours. Authorities are also concerned over a harvesting machine driver hailing from Punjab testing positive. Sources said that efforts are on to trace those who came in contact of the Punjab native as he had harvested crops in few villages, before being sent to a quarantine centre.
Buxar DM Aman Sameer appealed to the villagers to follow the guidelines for prevention of spread of Covid- 19. He also ordered the officials to maintain strict vigil at all entry and exit points of the village and screen every villager.
Meanwhile, villagers residing in the containment zone at Naya Bhojpur village are facing many hardships. An advocate A K Mishra said, “People are not not getting adequate supply of essentials as nobody is allowed to go out.”
Another native of the village, Lakshmi Prasad said, “The worst-hit are daily wage earners and vegetables sellers. “Nobody is hiring their services and vegetables grown in Naya Bhojpur are also not being purchased,” he said.
The DM, however, said that the district administration has already deputed five officials and issued a toll free number for placing orders for essentials and other items of daily needs. Village mukhiya Rambachan Yadav said that the officials are helping the needy.