COVID-19: Containment tag for Odisha's Puri district court

PURI: The recent spike in coronavirus cases is set to become a big worry for Puri district administration which is on its toes to ensure a smooth Rath Yatra on June 23. 

Days ahead of the mega festival, Puri Collector Balwant Singh on Wednesday declared the district court as a containment zone after a lawyer and his clerk tested positive for Covid-19.

The duo had conducted the bail proceedings on behalf of three infected accused persons in the court on June 15. The three accused were arrested by Kanas police.

Contact tracing of the lawyer and his clerk is underway and swab samples of their close ones have been collected and sent for test.

The clerk’s wife, who works in the civil court, has also tested positive. The administration has closed the civil court.

This apart, offices of the Collector, Tehsildar, Sub-Collector, DRDA and sub-registrar has also been shut down. On the day, Fire personnel sanitised these offices. Three police stations of Brahmagiri, Kanas and Gadishagoda too were sanitised. 

Eleven personnel of Kanas police station, who had arrested the three accused, have been sent to quarantine. 11 personnel of Gadishagoda police station have also been quarantined.

Earlier, all staff of Brahmagiri police station were put in quarantine. Gadishagoda and Brahmagiri police each had arrested two accused who were later found to be coronavirus positive.

Sources said the accused were interrogated and produced in court between June 11 and 15.

Their swab samples were collected and sent for test. On June 16, their results came out as positive. A sub-inspector of Brahmagiri police station, who came in contact with the accused person, has also tested positive. 

Besides, the Collector also declared the main road from Acharya Harihar square to Post Office Chowk as containment zone. 

The containment tag will remain in force from June 17 to 19. With this, the total number of containment zones in the district rose to 10. Singh said the total number of active cases in Puri increased to 89 after 18 more persons of the district tested positive on the day.