Migrants are turning out to be nightmare for certain States which have somehow managed to contain the spread of coronavirus so far.
These States are now haunted by the homecoming of tens of thousands of workers who are potential carrier of the deadly virus. Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have begun to witness significant spike in Covid-19 cases after return of the migrants.
Majority of these migrants were not tested for coronavirus before they set out for their native places. On return, they are sent to quarantine after mere thermal screening. The scope of them acting as corona spreaders remains a high probability.
The Centre in an affidavit in the Supreme Court had stated that almost a third of the migrants returning to their hometowns and villages could be infected with the novel coronavirus. But no efforts ever have been made to carry out bulk testing in case of migrants.
As per the data of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Odisha reported 154 cases till May 1 which has become more than double to 377 after the migrant workers from Gujarat and other States returned in a big number. Among the 377 who tested positive, 290 had come from Gujarat and West Bengal. So far infections have been reported in 21 of the 30 districts of the State.
In the Ganjam district, the epicentre of Covid-19, cases are spiralling with 125 migrants testing positive on returning from Surat. On Sunday, 83 tested positive in the State, all of whom were migrant workers barring one. The State Government is worried by the prospect of cases ballooning in the next couple of weeks as 4-5 lakh more migrants are likely to return to Odisha.
Bihar reported 466 cases till May 1 which has gone up to 707 till May 10, thanks to the homecoming of a large number of migrants. In Bihar, nearly 70 per cent of the new cases since May 1 have been detected in migrant workers. As many as 100 migrants tested positive on Saturday and 44 on Sunday taking the tally to 707. According to Principal Secretary (Health) Sanjay Kumar, going by the experience over the past 10 days, almost 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the tested samples which came positive were of people who came from outside the State.
In Jharkhand, one-third of the 160 positive cases spread over 13 districts have been reported in the past one week, around the time that migrant workers began to reach their home States. There is a spike of 50 per cent when compared to 113 cases the State reported till May 1. On Saturday, 22 migrants who returned from Surat tested positive for the coronavirus disease in the highest single-day tally in the State.
Rajasthan coronavirus tally has reached 3,898 as compared to 2,666 cases till May 1. Majority of new cases were reported from the border districts of Gujarat, from where the migrant workers have returned.
West Bengal reported 795 cases till May 1, which increased to 1,939 by May 11, more than doubling in just 10 days.
UP has reported 3,467 cases so far as compared to 2,328 cases till May 1. Officials said that cases have increased after arrival of migrants from other States.
The Covid-19 cases in the State of Andhra Pradesh have reached 2,018. As many as 38 cases tested positive during the last 24 hours. Twenty-six of them have returned from Gujarat, one from Karnataka and eight from the Chittoor district.
The situation could worsen in most of these States as the migrants workers are expected to return in much bigger numbers in the coming days and weeks.