The Odisha government On Friday directed 7-day mandatory home isolation for returnees from Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
“All the incoming passengers will remain under mandatory home isolation for seven days. If during this period they develop any symptoms, they will be subjected to an RT-PCR test. If found positive in RT-PCR test, they will be treated as per the Covid treatment protocol,” said additional chief secretary (health) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra.
A letter to the district collectors, municipal commissioners, directors of Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda airports and East Coast Railway general manager (operations) in this regard has been written by Mohapatra.
Another 63 Covid patients have recovered and are being discharged on 26.02.2021
11 from Sundargarh
10 from Jharsuguda
9 from Bargarh
9 from Sambalpur
5 from Khordha
4 from Baleswar
4 from Jajapur
4 from Koraput
3 from Nuapada
2 from Puri
1 from Mayurbhanj
1 from Rayagada— H & FW Dept Odisha (@HFWOdisha) February 26, 2021
He said all the passengers coming from the states need to be screened at the point of arrival at airports and railway stations according to the protocol.
Mohapatra said any carelessness can result in a resurrection of the pandemic in Odisha and will ruin all efforts over the past months.
Hence, on on-site Rapid Antigen Testing of all the symptomatic passengers has to be ensured, he said..
However, on Thursday, the government directed the authorities to tightened the surveillance at airports and railway stations to prevent a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in Odisha.