As more and more of West Bengal returnees in Odisha have been detected with Covid-19 infection, the State Government is now making efforts to track people with travel history to the neighbouring State.
Besides assigning Sarpanches for identifying such returnees at the panchayat level, the Government is now tracking people with recent visit to West Bengal through mobile phone locations. Over 2,900 people, who have returned from WB on or after March 25, have been traced so far on the basis of their phone locations. They belong to 29 out of the 30 districts in the State.
National Health Mission (NHM) Director Shalini Pandit has asked the district administrations to track down the returnees, keep them under home quarantine and send their swab samples for testing.
“We have tracked 21 out of total 43 returnees in Koraput district. We have collected their samples and sent the same to the RMRC in Bhubaneswar for testing. This method of tracking will surely be helpful in breaking the chain of transmission of coronavirus,” said Koraput Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Makarand Beura.
As per the tracking list, Baleswar district has the highest 772 number of West Bengal returnees followed by Jajpur with 329 and Bhadrak with 242. Boudh has only one returnee.
Notably, a total of 33 persons with travel history to West Bengal have so far tested Covid-19 positive in the State. They belong to Jajpur, Bhadrak and Baleswar districts.