The Odisha government’s Health & Family Welfare Department stepped up surveillance in Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur on Tuesday after it was found that many COVID-19 patients in the State had returned to these districts from neighbouring West Bengal.
Concerned over the trend, the State Health Department directed experts from medical colleges, senior health officers and rapid response teams to oversee containment measures in the three districts.
While three rapid response teams proceeded to these districts, the SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack, was asked to provide technical support to Jajpur district. The Fakir Mohan Medical College & Hospital at Balasore was supporting Balasore and Bhadrak districts, the Health Department said.
23 positive cases
In fact, a total of 23 COVID-19 cases were reported from the three districts till midnight of Monday. The State government had expressed its worries on Monday evening saying that 24 of the 74 infected persons in the State till then had links with West Bengal.
Clandestine entry
Stating that most of these people had clandestinely entered the State, the government expressed satisfaction over the work done by representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions who did not allow to them to enter the villages.
The panchayats had informed the district administration and ensured that these people were placed in quarantine.
With detection of five more COVID-19 cases from Balasore by midnight on Monday, the total number of positive cases detected in the State has increased to 79.
Five more discharged
Meanwhile, five more COVID-19 positive cases — one each from Bhubaneswar, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Sundargarh and Kendrapada — were discharged from different COVID-19 hospitals on Tuesday. With this, the total recoveries in the State increased to 29 and the number of active cases stood at 48. One person had died earlier.
Another patient from West Bengal, who had recently come for follow up treatment of cancer in a private hospital in Bhubaneswar and was detected as COVID-19 positive, passed away in the hospital on Tuesday morning.
His death, however, was not treated as COVID-19 death since after treatment he was found negative for cthe virus in two repeat tests, the government said.
