The State Government on Friday stepped up contact tracing in coronavirus hotspots in Baleswar, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts to identify the people who have recently returned from other States, especially West Bengal.
Notably, the Government has imposed a 60-hour complete shutdown from 10 pm on Thursday till April 26 in the three districts following a spurt in the Covid-19 cases.
With five more person found infected with the virus in Bhadrak district on Friday, the three districts together accounted for 39 of the total 94 positive cases in the State.
While Bhadrak and Jajpur have 12 confirmed cases each, Baleswar has 10 patients.
The administrations of the three districts with help of sarpanches and urban local body functionaries have launched a drive to trace the people who had come in contact with coronavirus patients.
It has come to light that almost all coronavirus patients in the three districts either had a travel history to West Bengal or they had come in contact with returnees from other States.
As a measure to prevent entry of people from Bengal, DGP Abhay said 37 roads connecting Baleswar district to the neighbouring State are now manned by police.
Local panchayat and urban local body functionaries are identifying the people who have recently returned from other States.
Bhadrak district Collector Gyana Das said the administration has been focusing on Basudevpur block as the area has reported seven cases. The district administration in Jajpur has already prepared a list of people who have a recent travel history to other States, including West Bengal, Collector Ranjan Kumar Das said.
“We have already started putting people coming in contact with COVID-19 patients in quarantine. Their samples will be collected today,” he said.