Rourkela administration cuts sorry figure in coronavirus fight

ROURKELA: For Rourkela administration, the Covid-19 fight is not limited to containing people to stem spread of coronavirus. It is now faced with a tougher challenge of countering the communal colour given to the measures taken to keep the virus at bay. A day after mob violence rocked the containment zone, a section of people in the minority dominated pocket have claimed that the 22 Covid-19 positive cases from their area are false and they are being deliberately targeted.

Large portions on both sides of the Rourkela main road having minority population were declared containment zone on April 26. Since then, a particular portion on the southern side of the main road has reported 20 positive cases and an adjacent pocket reported two positive cases, due to local transmission. 
Since imposition of the containment order, a section of the community continues to be uneasy with shutdown restrictions. Here, people have been giving two hoots to social distancing and other Covid-19 preventive measures. 

To mount woes of the administration, even a sizeable number of the literate people is influenced by social media propaganda to believe that the threat of Covid-19 in their locality is unreal and a conspiracy against the community. A member, Nazmazzuma said people are questioning the authenticity of positive cases in their area and how the patients are being cured so soon.Reliable sources said people with vested interest are provoking the community members and their work is getting easier amid people’s hardship due to containment restrictions.   

On Tuesday, a mob violence on the Mahtab Road portion over containment order had left 40 persons injured including 12 policemen. They sought removal of containment zone status from the area. In a meeting with the community leaders in the night, police warned anyone violating Covid-19 guidelines in the containment zone will face stern action. On Wednesday morning, barricades were restored at few points. Police DIG (WR) Kabita Jalan on Wednesday held another meeting with the community leaders to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur. She said containment order would continue till further orders.