BERHAMPUR: Panic gripped the residents of
Ganjam district
after 21 people placed under home quarantine tested positive for
coronavirus on Tuesday. The district recorded 41 fresh cases in 24 hours.
Official sources said most of the newly-infected patients had returned from Gujarat and Maharashtra, while five were locals.
Currently, one lakh people in the district are under 14-day home isolation following the completion of their seven-day institutional quarantine. They are mostly returnees from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Though the district authorities have asked everyone to strictly follow the isolation rules at home, health activists feared that many might violate them. The lack of facilities at homes in the rural areas increases the chances of spreading the infection.
"Families use a common toilet in the rural areas," health activist Sudhir Sabat said. "Stricter vigil is needed on their movement," he added.
A senior official said the Asha and anganwardi workers have been entrusted with the responsibility of tracking the people placed under home quarantine. Local volunteers have been roped in to keep a watch on them.
District collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said a returnee would get the government incentive only if he/she successfully completed home quarantine by observing the rules. "We have given Rs 1000 to each one of them and the rest (Rs 1,000) will be paid after they complete their home quarantine," he added.
The collector further said everyone under home quarantine were being tracked through an App, which has been specially developed for the purpose. "Those who violate home quarantine rules will be sent to institutional quarantine once again," he added.
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