Bari: The second wave of Covid-19 has been playing havoc in various parts of the state, but migrant workers returning from hotspot states are allegedly pooh-poohing Covid protocols and moving freely in villages in Bari block of Jajpur.
While such action of the returnees has scared the locals, the administration is turning a blind eye to the menace, a report said.
According to the report, migrants are returning to villages at different times. As per guidelines, they should get themselves registered at the panchayat level and tested for Covid-19 before entering their villages.
But this is not happening in many villages, locals alleged. They also pointed out that during the Covid-19 restrictions in the first wave, the administration kept watch on the migrants and carried out contact tracing of the infected migrants.
The migrants were subjected to isolation for a specific period. It is alleged that this time the migrants are returning from hotspot regions like West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat and other states.
They are freely moving outside their homes violating the Covid guidelines. Sadly, the administration has not identified them yet.
As these migrants are coming in contact with the local people, they are likely to spread the virus. Meanwhile, three people have died of Covid-19 at Udaynathpur, Balibili and Ishanpur panchayats.
The block administration has opened four isolation centres at Balia, Swainkhand, Atira and Udaynathpur. But there are no efforts to bring the Covid-infected to these centres.
Bari BDO Shibananada Swain said, ”If people are not conscious, the administration is helpless. We are bound by official norms. We will try to sensitise people about the severity of the second wave of pandemic with help of people’s representatives.”
PNN
