Returnees skip quarantine; villagers fume

Bahanaga/Simulia: Amid growing panic over COVID-19 infection, migrant labourers returning from other states allegedly skip safety and quarantine guidelines in various parts of Balasore. Such violations allegedly fuelled fears of community infection while migrant labourers escape the scanner of the administration, a report said.

Here is a case in point. A youth of Rupakhanda in Aruhabada panchayat returned from Hyderabad on the night of May 12. Instead of staying at the government quarantine centre, he went straight to his house. This caused a lot of resentment among locals as the health status of the youth was not examined.

They alleged that even the local sapranch was not aware of the arrival of the returnee. Upset and worried, the villagers immediately contacted sarpanch Sisir Kumar Agasti, BDO Raghunath Panigrahi and tehsildar Rajendra Kar, but the latter did not pay heed to the concern of the villagers.

After repeated allegations, finally the BDO and the tehsildar visited the house of the youth. However, the officials did not ask the youth and his mother to stay at the quarantine centre.

The mother-son duo was asked not to step out of their house, but the woman had allegedly performed puja at a temple Thursday.

Angry over this, the villagers staged protests and warned that the duo will be forcibly taken to the quarantine centres.

Meanwhile, this block has reported three more infection cases Friday. The infected persons used to stay at Gopalpur, Kuruda, and Saudu quarantine centres.

The sarpanch of Gopalpur panchayat using the Collector’s power has announced 24-hour shutdown from 10 am Friday to 10 am Saturday.

Reports from Simulia block said, COVID-19 made its entry into the block Friday when a Surat returnee tested positive for COVID. After returning from Surat May 3, the man was in a quarantine centre.

PNN