Bhubaneswar: Citing that COVID19 cases in Odisha have doubled since his last address in a short span of time, Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik today said that the next few days are crucial for Odisha as people from other states will return and any mistake or lapses in handling the situation can lead to an explosion in infections.
Displaying concern over the rising number of COVID19 cases in Odisha, CM said, "Since the last time I spoke to you 10 days back, the total positive count in Odisha has doubled from 61 cases." However, there is nothing to panic as everything is under control, Naveen Patnaik assured.
He further thanked people returning from outside for their cooperation in registering themselves on the government portal.
"The next challenge our government faced was the returnees from Nizamuddin Markaz. Now, returnees from West Bengal have emerged as the third challenge. Out of the total positive cases so far, 50 are West Bengal returnees," he added
Patnaik said a huge number of people will return to Odisha from states with high number of coronavirus cases, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and West Bengal.
"They are our people. It is our responsibility to take care of them. The positive cases may rise after their return to the state. However, the situation can be kept under control if you cooperate with the government," he said.
"Therefore, we need to be alert, opt for registration of people returning from outside and support the Odisha government in keeping them in quarantine. Our family, village and community will remain safe if we follow instructions" said Patnaik.
"A little carelessness can cost us dear and mistakes can lead to Covid19 explosion in State. This is a matter of life and death. Even mistakes by 10 percent of people, can compound the problem100 times," Patnaik said in the video message.
Odisha is doing quite well in the fight against Coronavirus as compared to other States. If people follow government's guidelines and help the administration, Odisha can create history, Naveen Patnaik said while concluding his address.