Mayurbhanj district joins Covid-hit list

BARIPADA: Mayurbhanj district joined the Covid-affected districts of the State after four Surat returnees tested positive on Thursday. All the four men aged 21,36, 44 and 35 had been kept in the temporary Covid care centres at Pingu and Podadiha panchayats. While three of the returnees were from Pingu centre, the other was in Podadiha.

Collector Vineet Bhardwaj said 28 migrant workers had returned from Surat on May 4 in buses which dropped them at Kaptipada College. There, they underwent medical screening and sent to temporary Covid care centres by the sarpanchs. A day later, their swab samples were sent for tests of which four came out positive. Contact tracing of the patients is underway.

Bhardwaj asked locals not to panic as the four had been shifted to quarantine facility immediately after they had arrived and they had not come in contact with any of their family members. All the four have been shifted to the Covid-19 hospital at Cuttack.

The Collector urged people to maintain social distancing of six feet and wear mask while stepping out. The two temporary Covid care centres have been sanitised and sealed. As many as 17 persons were staying at the Covid centre at Pingu while Podadiha centre had three persons. Swab samples of all inmates of the centres have been sent for tests.