Bargarh turning into west Odisha hotspot as cases rise

Bhubaneswar: Bargarh district in western Odisha seem to be turning into another Khurda with Covid cases rising with each passing day.
Bargarh has the most active positive cases (1144) among 10 western Odisha districts that include Sundargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Deogarh, Boudh, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Balangir. In the past week alone, Bargarh has added 907 positive cases.It has so far registered 2,395 positive cases and 9 deaths, can be considered on the higher side when compared to Khurda which, with 18,159 total positive cases, has reported 69 deaths.
“We are testing more samples as a result fresh Covid positive cases are being reported,” Bargarh district collector Jyotiranjan Pradhan said. However, on closer scrutiny it could be seen that the samples tested is far low in comparison to other western Odisha districts.
On Wednesday, Bargarh reported 185 positive cases from 437 samples tested (a positivity rate of 42.33%). In comparison, Deogarh tested 976 samples and has reported zero positive case, Jharsuguda reported 60 cases from 641 samples tested, Sambalpur’s 821 samples returned 78 cases while Sundargarh reported 60 infected out of 2143 samples tested.
More than 200 cases have been reported from Bargarh Sadar (on the town’s periphery) while more than hundred cases (100-200) have been reported from pockets like Sohela, Barpali and Attabira. Seven blocks of the districts have reported cases between 1 and 50. Pradhan said the recent Nuakhai festival too played a role in increasing Covid cases. “The festival brought family members together and though we stopped community feasting, it could have led to more people getting infected. Besides, the rainy season saw agricultural activities being stepped up. People in villages could have got together, resulting in further spread,” Pradhan suggested.
Experts felt that the rise in Covid cases in Bargarh district – the business capital of western Odisha and a health hub in close proximity to Chhattisgarh – could have been after restriction on inter-state movement of people was lifted. Otherwise, Bargarh till June end had reported only 115 positive cases. Infections began to pick up in the months of July and August. R K Purohit, a Bargarh-based doctor said people from outside the state and neighbouring districts depend on Bargarh for health and business purposes.
“People now have free movement in markets. As far as hospitals are concerned, although patients undergo Covid test before getting admitted, the relatives and others who accompany them could infect others or get infected themselves. Secondly, people still don’t follow rules on how to use mask. When one talks to another, he/she removes the mask while it is most important to keep wearing it at that time,” Purohit said.