Intelligence Bureau officials put in quarantine after staffer comes in contact with COVID-19 patient

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday put all the employees of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) office under quarantine after a staffer reportedly came in contact with a COVID-19 positive patient.

“One of the staff of the Intelligence Bureau had come in contact with a COVID-19 patient. We have collected some swab samples of some staff including the employee who came in contact with the coronavirus positive patient, for testing and some more samples will also be collected today,” informed BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhury today.

The employees have been kept under quarantine for 14 days from April 6 to April 19, said reports.

Also Read: One More COVID-19 Positive Case In Odisha

“The employees have been quarantined until we get the reports of the swab samples. However, the staff can work from inside the office,” added Chaudhury.

The IB office will be sanitised by the BMC and a team of Health department will also visit the office for an inspection today.

It is worth mentioning that a 32-year-old youth of Kendrapara who had come to Odisha from Dubai on March 24 was confirmed positive for Coronavirus by the State Health and Family Welfare Department yesterday. With the new case, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 40 in Odisha.

The youth identified as a native of Aul block in the district has been admitted to Ashwini Hospital in Cuttack for treatment. Sources said the Kendrapara district administration has sealed the COVID-19 patient’s village and its nearby 11 villages.

“The youth, a resident of Aul area, has been admitted to Ashwini Hospital in Cuttack last night for preliminary treatment. His family members have been kept under home quarantine and their swab samples have also been sent for testing. The youth’s village and its nearby 11 villages have been sealed. We will start the health screening of the villagers today,” informed Kendrapara District Collector Samarth Verma.

"The #Kendrapara youth tested positive with #COVID19 is a resident of Aul & has been admitted to Ashwini Hospital in Cuttack. Native village of the patient & other villages in 3 km periphery have been shutdown," informs Kendrapara district Collector Samarth Verma #Odisha pic.twitter.com/B5RTGuJuHZ

— OTV (@otvnews) April 7, 2020

“Sanitisation work in the villages has started since yesterday and there is no need to panic,” added Verma.

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On Monday, around 302 samples were tested including 261 at RMRC, 36 at AIIMS and 5 at SCB, informed State Health and Family Welfare Department.

Later, 20 more samples were tested at SCB Hospital in Cuttack which also tested negative, added the department.