More and more Odia people returning from other States are testing positive for COVID-19, even as the State government on Friday said it was making all efforts to facilitate their return by buses and special trains during the coming weeks.

The total number of COVID-19 cases increased to 149 with detection of seven new cases in different districts of the State on Friday. Of the seven news cases, while two youths found positive in Bolangir district had returned from Tamil Nadu, the four in Jajpur district and one in Balasore district had West Bengal links.

Out of the total 149 cases, 93 were undergoing treatment at exclusive COVID hospitals. While only one patient has died so far, the number of persons recovered increased to 55 on Friday with discharge of 14 persons during the past 24 hours, officials said.

Announcing the government’s strategy for return of Odia people from outside the State, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy sought the cooperation of officials and people’s representatives at gram panchayats and urban local bodies to ensure quarantine and testing of all the returnees upon their arrival.

Mr. Tripathy said that Odia workers, students, professionals and patients stranded in other State will be allowed to return by buses and special trains only. While some people have started returning from other States by buses, one special train each was scheduled to leave for Odisha from Kerala and Gujarat on Friday night, he added.

Eleven check points

While the buses bringing people will be allowed to enter Odisha at 11 designated check points, the special trains coming from outside the State would be allowed to stop at particular stations on their respective routes from where the returnees would be taken by buses to their respective destinations.

All returnees will be stamped with indelible ink for quarantine by the health authorities.

All the returnees should have their registration done through the website which the State government had launched on March 24 before they board the buses or trains for returning to Odisha, said Mr. Tripathy.

He further said that health screening of those who would come by trains would be done by the local authorities before they board the train and the health screening of those coming by buses would be done at the camps set up at the entry points on the State boarder.

All the returnees would be put on quarantine at the facilities created by the government at the panchayat or urban body levels as well as their homes. Screening and testing of samples would be carried out at the community level, said Mr. Tripathy.