Bhograi: A sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases in coastal pockets of Bhograi in Balasore district has left people panicked.
Fifteen people lodged in 11 quarantine centres tested positive for coronavirus. Eleven of them returned from West Bengal; three from Kerala and one from Bangalore. All infected are below 50 years while three of the infected are women.
Following this detection, panic prevailed in bordering areas with more cases having links with neighbouring West Bengal.
Meanwhile, a team of doctors from Balasore COVID hospital has shifted the infected people to the hospital.
Infection cases are on the rise in north Odisha while people and the administration are increasingly worried.
Amid lockdown, in and out movement of non-resident workers continues in the north Odisha.
A report from Bant (Bhadrak) said 92 migrant workers working in different parts of the country have returned to the area – one each from Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, 43 from Gujarat, two from Jharkhand, four from Karnataka, seven from Kerala, three from Maharashtra, six from Rajasthan, two from Tamil Nadu, five from Telangana and 18 from West Bengal.
Bhandaripokhari area also continues to see influx of migrant workers. 272 migrant workers have returned to the area till May 8.
Meanwhile, 14 workers of Bengal were working Kapilash area in Dhenkanal. They were walking back home along the railway line, but RPF detained them in Jaleswar area. They had been walking for the last six days without food. They belong to Maldah in Medinapore district.
Coronavirus made its entry into north Odisha March 31 when a youth of Kantabania in Bhadrak tested positive for the virus after returning from Dubai.
Now, with five more new cases, the number of infections in Bhadrak has spiraled to 30.
Basudevpur block has reported 17 cases; Bhadrak three; Dhamnagar 4; Bhandaripokhari 2; Tihidi 3 and Bant reported 1 COVID-19 case.
PNN
