Odisha declares some areas of Balasore as containment zones

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The Odisha government on Sunday declared some areas in Balasore as containment zones to conduct active surveillance and contact tracing, a day after a 58-year-old man tested positive to COVID-19 in the town, officials said.

Three wards located in Niliabag area of Balasore Municipality have been sealed and all the entry and exit points will remain closed initially for a week, Balasore District Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy said.

Describing Niliabag as a densely populated area, the collector said it requires intensive measures for active surveillance and contact tracing. Residents of the area would not be allowed to move out and people from outside are prevented from entering into the locality as a precautionary measure.

The move comes after a 58-year-old man from the area tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. The man has been admitted to a designated Covid hospital for treatment, said an official.

Odisha has 61 COVID-19 positive cases. Intensive preventive and disinfection measures have been launched in the locality from where one patient has been found COVID-19 positive.

The entry and exit points have been sealed to restrict movement of people.

Separate teams have been engaged to conduct medical check up of over 400 families residing in the area, while fire brigade has started disinfection drive since morning, said Deputy Collector Nilu Mahapatra.

Arrangements have been made to provide essential commodities, medicines and other assistance to the people residing in the containment zone, said the official.

Detailed contact history of the patient is being collected, while his family members and people who came in contact with the man are being placed under quarantine to prevent spread of the deadly disease, he said.

Meanwhile, restrictions imposed in two containment zones Charampa and Erein in Bhadrak town for contact tracing and active surveillance have been lifted, according to Bhadrak district Collector Gyana Das.

However, the lockdown restrictions will continue to be in force at these places and people would have to adhere to the guidelines, he said.

Three places in Bhadrak - Puruna Bazaar, Charampa and Erein had been declared as containment zones after three persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the town.

Containment restrictions have earlier been lifted from Puruna Bazaar area on April 15, sources said.

At present, containment restrictions are continuing in at least five areas in state capital Bhubaneswar - Surya Nagar, Bomikhal, Satya Nagar, Sunarpada and Kapila Prasad. Of the total 61 coronavirus cases in the state so far, 46 were reported from Bhubaneswar.

This apart, the containment zone, also remain in force in different places of Puri, Ganjam, Jajpur and Kendrapara districts.

Odisha has so far reported 61 Covid cases. While 24 patients have been cured, a 72-year-old man from Bhubaneswar has died of the disease.