Bhubaneswar: With six UK returnees having tested positive for the new strain of COVID-19 in India, the Odisha Government is leaving no stones unturned to trace all those who returned to Odisha from the UK recently.
Once traced out, they will be subjected to COVID-19 test so that risk of further transmission can be minimised, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC ) commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary Tuesday said.
“We have identified 20 returnees in first phase and another 50-60 in second phase. But all of them are yet to be traced. Meanwhile, we have formed zone-wise teams who have been provided with the phone numbers and addresses of these returnees. The teams will trace the returnees,” Chaudhary said.
“We are facing another difficulty in identifying some of the returnees as they have used their international contact number to book tickets,” the commissioner added.
Meanwhile, Odisha Public Health Department director Niranjan Mishra appealed the returnees to come forward voluntarily so that their genome sequencing can be done.
Notably, three of the 20 returnees who were identified in the first phase have tested positive for COVID-19.
PNN
