Even though Covid-19 pandemic has haunted everyone, but ironically, the people are still ignorant and careless.
Reports said that even as Covid-19 guidelines emphasize on maintaining social distancing, wearing mask , avoiding congregation and adhering to strict rules during conducting marriage and funeral functions, but usually it is seen that people in rural areas are blatantly flouting these advices. As a result, the Corona positive cases are on the rise in the district.
The closure of Temporary Medical Camps [TMCs] and panchayat quarantine centers have added to the case loads. The total number of cases stands at 4,108 of which 1,306 are active cases and 2,796 are recovery cases. 7 deaths have been recorded. All these by September 21. The Corona hotspots have been Paradip, Kujang and Jagatsinghpur rural and urban areas where above 600 Covid 19 cases have been detected.
Even though lockdowns restrictions have been relaxed and public premises have been opened, but it is usually seen that many people are still ignorant about the Covid norms.
They are not following the guidelines and ignoring Government advisories. Mainly home isolated patients and their kin are hardly showing compliance.
Sources informed that last week a birthday celebration was arranged in a police residential colony in Punanga village, four km away from here and hundreds of participants were there throwing the restrictions rules to wind. And this is when the Covid test reports supplied by I and PR department revealed that 12 Sepoys and one Lance Naik of 8th battalion, 12 police men from reserve police, three constables of district police are Covid positives. Sources doubted that these police personnel could have joined the birthday celebration.
Moreover, in a funeral function held recently in Kulamundilo village under Rambhadeipur Panchyat in Jagatsinghpur block, hundreds participated, including political leaders, Government officials and local people violating Covid guidelines.
After three Government officials and one funeral host member tested Covid positives, local Sarpanch Bhramarabar Sahoo had arranged a Covid test camp in the village.
Apart from 95 people detected in contact tracing, those attended the funeral function, two were reported positive and were now undergoing home isolation. The surveillance mechanism to check Covid transmission launched either by civil administration or police has yielded a lukewarm response.
Practically, Covid surveillance teams are inadequate and inept to travel vast stretch of rural villages regularly , while village level health workers, ASHAs, Sarpanchs and Anganwadi workers are toothless and overburdened with Covid works.
Panchayat and village level Covid management committees are malfunctioning as result of which Covid guidelines are ignored by people, sources said.
Moreover police and magistrate teams are conducting mask checking at market complex and Bazar areas sensitising people to maintain social distancing and collecting hefty fines from the violators but the crackdowns have largely remained confined to township, block headquarters and urban areas, when the rural people violating the rules are going scot-free.