Devbrat Patnaik

Bhubaneswar: Even as COVID cases continue to explode in Ganjam, district Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange today assured that steps are being taken to avoid community transmission. In fact, he seemed sanguine when he said that such a situation is unlikely in the district as all positive cases are returnees detected at the quarantine centres.

Speaking to OTV on the arrangements in place for returnees, the Collector informed "Intense screening is done at the railway station from where they are taken to respective quarantine centres. As per menu and guidelines, the daily schedule includes exercise, breakfast, COVID class, lunch, some tasks, entertainment sessions, dinner and other activities."

So far, over 35000 migrants have returned from other States and we will see more influx as days progress, especially with movement in bus and rail having got a green signal now, he said.

On how things are streamlined at the COVID hospitals, Kulange informed, "The 200-bedded Tata COVID hospital will serve as critical care units for patients with serious health issues. We have also set up COVID care centres where positive patients will be kept and treated."

No Community Transmission In Ganjam

"There is no sign of community transmission and it is unlikely in the future as well. Sufficient awareness has been created among the people in the rural and urban belt to keep a track on the movement of returnees and suspected COVID cases. I would ask people not to panic as all positive cases are in quarantines and none of them came in contact with locals," Kulange said.

"In case, if a person(s) comes from outside and that doesn't come to our notice, the Sarpanchs will identify and ask them to undergo mandatory quarantine. A special team has also been trained in this regard. We have prepared a list of do's and dont's to prevent community transmission," he assured.

Ganjam district, which entered late in Odisha's COVID map, now accounts for maximum coronavirus positive cases (158) while one of them has succumbed to the disease.

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