Cuttack shut down for 4 days amid Covid spike

CUTTACK: Amid a persistent spike in Covid-19 cases, which has begun to show signs of spread from the two premier hospitals to the community-level, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) on Saturday announced a complete shutdown of the city beyond the weekend shutdown till midnight of July 8,  Wednesday.

The curfew has barred every activity including severe restrictions on public movement except essential services and travel. All the non-essential shops will remain closed and non-essential travel would be prohibited. 

However, essential shops like grocery, vegetable and milk shops are allowed to remain open from 5 am to 6 pm. Such shops will have to ensure implementation of Covid-19 guidelines like maintaining social distancing norms and wearing face masks at the facilities, the CMC order stipulated.

Medicine stores will remain open and online delivery of food and essential commodities would be allowed during the shutdown period. Other emergency services like water and electricity supply will function as usual, the order stated.

The DCP Cuttack also urged citizens to adhere to the shutdown and warned of strict action against violators. “We urge our citizens to please cooperate & support our stand in these difficult times.Let’s come together to fight & break the chain of #COVID19. Violation to this will invite stringent lawful action,” the DCP said in a tweet. 

The Covid tally in the city went up to 129 during the day after 13 cases from the Ranihat Malisahi locality were taken into account. There are three significant clusters in the city now including the Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer, SCB MCH and Malisahi.

The CMC on Saturday declared the Malisahi locality as a containment zone. CMC Commissioner Ananya Das said aggressive contact tracing will be undertaken in the containment zone with door-to-door screening of the residents.

There will be no vehicular movement and shopping establishments would remain closed. Inhabitants within the containment zone have been directed to strictly remain indoors. Supply of essentials and medical requirements would be ensured through various teams formed by CMC. The civic body has also deputed three officers as the nodal officers to ensure smooth supply of essentials/facilities in the containment zone. 

AHPGIC reports  38 more cases
Cuttack: At least 38 more Covid-19 cases were detected at Acharya Harihar Postgraduate Institute of Cancer(AHPGIC) on Saturday, taking the total number of cases at the hospital to 111. The new cases include 37 patients and an attendant | P2