BHUBANESWAR: As the world comes to terms with the scourge of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), no place can guarantee safety. Odias living abroad are going through a tough time due to the double whammy of the pandemic and the travel restrictions imposed by almost all nations.
Orissa POST got in touch with some of these NRIs residing in Singapore, Greece and USA et al. Pabitra Kumar, a banker in Singapore, said, “The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore reported 47 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday (Mar 18), bringing the country’s total to 313. It has deeply impacted the city in general and people’s lifestyle in particular.”
“People are not venturing out even during weekends. Whoever goes out for some work of importance, wears a mask. Many people are skipping metro rail which earlier used to be most preferred way of traveling. Thermal screening is being carried out in almost all offices,” he added.
Snigdha Mohanty, another NRI residing in Singapore said, “Singapore has declared orange alert in the country and we have to follow strict guidelines.”
Residing in Greece, Summon Rudra, said, “There is a countrywide lockdown. All of the citizens are instructed to stay at home. Five people have died in the country due to coronavirus. The total cases of COVID-19 positive patients stand at 387. A torch relay for the Tokyo 2020 Games was cancelled due to this.”
Residing in Texas, USA, Jayanta Rout said, “We are usually working from home. COVID-19 toll in the US has risen to 110. Schools and other offices have been closed. No large gatherings is allowed for a minimum period of eight weeks.” More than 7,000 Americans have been infected with coronavirus, and that number changes by the hour.