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Bhubaneswar: With the sudden spurt in Covid-19 cases in neighbouring states and in districts across Odisha, including the bordering ones, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated stricter enforcement measures for compliance of Covid-19 appropriate behaviour by the denizens.
Following directives of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, BMC and the Commissionerate Police have jointly started special awareness and enforcement drives in the Capital City.
According to BMC sources, surveillance has been intensified in market places, malls, schools, colleges and other educational institutions. Several educational institution campuses have been sealed after some students and staff tested Covid-19 positive at these places. Some people have been penalised for violating the guidelines in market places too. Special emphasis is laid on the enforcement of mask use and maintenance of social distancing norms.
“We have intensified the enforcement of Covid-19 norms in the city. Institutions reporting positive cases are being sanitised properly. We have also intensified the vaccination drive with around 10,000 people getting the jabs on a daily basis. There is enough stock of Covaxin to continue the vaccination process,” said BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary.
“We have intensified raids at various places where Covid-19 norms were allegedly violated and penalised people by levying heavy fines. In view of the surge in positive cases the number of beds in various Covid-19 hospitals will be increased,” said Chaudhary.
Meanwhile, State Health Minister Naba Kishore Das said that night curfew across 10 districts in Odisha will be strictly enforced to keep the Covid-19 infection at bay.
Odisha government has imposed night curfew in 10 districts of the State in view of the recent spike in coronavirus cases. The curfew has been imposed from 10 pm to 5 am in Sundergarh, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts.
The State government has decided to enhance surveillance on the movement of people from the neighbouring states. The State administration is also focusing on aggressive testing and tracking of positive cases among the people coming from Chhattisgarh. The Collectors and SPs in bordering districts of the neighbouring state have been directed to decide further course of action.
“Senior officials are on a visit to the western Odisha districts having a high concentration of Covid-19 cases in the region and making ground assessment. We have enough stock of medicines, beds and oxygen cylinders to meet any kind of eventualities. But the most important thing is the awareness among people,” said Das.
“There is stock of six lakh doses of Covishield, which will be exhausted in two to three days. The State government has written to the Centre seeking supply of adequate vaccines. However, there is sufficient amount of Covaxin vaccines,” said Das adding that the target is to vaccinate 1.16 crore people.
