RAYAGADA HEADING TOWARDS SHUT DOWN LIKE SITUATION: DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION TAKING ALL POSSIBLE STEPS FOR CONTAINING COVID-19
Badal Tah,Odishabarta
Rayagada, July 22: Corona positive persons touched 96 today after yesterday’s 47. Out of 512 samples send to RMRC, Bhubaneswar on last July 16, 86 came positive and the rest 10 positive cropped up from the local testing centre established at District Headquarters Hospita(DHH). The total affected now comes to 339 taking into earlier cases into account with two deaths. 142 are cured till date. All the positive persons have been admitted in the District Covid Hospital at JK Pur. The district administration has taken all precautionary measures by declaring several containment zones. This increased figure is because of strict contact tracing within the containment zones.
For example, Rengalpadu was declared as a containment zone after contact tracing of Bijayapur and Sirijholly affected persons near Gunupur. Collector Sri Pramod Kumar Behera and Sub-Collector Dr. Siddheswar Baliram Bonder, IAS personally visited both the hotspots, Sub-divisional hospital at Gunupur, Covid Care Centre of Gunupur and took all possible steps to contain this dreaded disease. Collector Behera imposed a lock down in the entire district vide Order no-1725 on July 22 from coming 23rd to 29th. Earlier shut down on Saturdays and Sundays imposed vide order no-1515 dated 2-7-2020 will remain in force. All other stipulations imposed in Order no-1484 dated 30-6-2020 shall be followed scrupulously.
In the meantime Collector Behera has personally visited Utkal Hospital at Oshapada & facilitated operation of Covid Care Centre(CCC) by Utkal Alumina International Limited(UAIL) at Tikiri, Kashipur. He is also looking into the establishment of CCCs by Rayagada Municipality and JK Paper Mills Ltd at JK Pur. These CCCs are in addition to CCCs established by district administration at Bissam Cuttack & Gunupur. As the contact tracing and surveillance by the health team under the leadership of CDMO Dr.Artabandhu Nayak are well driven, these CCCs will take the load of the increasing trend of positive people in the district.
There is a meticulous planning through GPRS, which is led by Sri Amrit Ruturaj, IAS, PD, DRDA-cum-District Nodal Officer for Covid-19, in declaring containment zones. In Padmapur block, due to a social gathering in spite of strict guidelines against it, 22 persons were found positive for which the entire jurisdiction of Padmapur block headquarters and Therubali Market area were shut down for three days. Order for closure for a week was issued for Tehsil office at Kolnara Frontline Covid warriors like Tehsildar-Kolnara and of the staff members got affected. In the same order, for Padmapur Block office and Hospital, closure notice for two days were issued as a Doctor and block staffs were affected. Mapping of 24 areas were done for last 47 affected persons for which 23 containment zones were declared considering the houses of positive cases as focal points. This process has enabled the administration to have time and effort for contact tracing upto the last mile & point and active surveillance so that the process of contamination is eliminated & fledging chain is broken. Nodal officers were appointed to look into supply of essential commodities, sanitation & sanitization, health related issues and maintenance of law and order.
During each press briefing, Behera appeals Rayagada public to use masks, hand wash, avoid getting into gatherings and follow other guidelines issued from time to time; but it seems the public is yet to take it seriously. “Police led by SP Dr.Sarvana Vivek M is ever vigilant in the entire district, especially near containment zones apart from their traditional role of keeping law and order. At these spots they have to be friendly. This could be the reason for the people in the containment zones to have taken them lightly. May be, a few of them stealthily violate the rules promulgated by district administration. They are the potential super spreaders. It is nearly impossible for police to have 24X7 policing. Here it is the ill-will, so there are many ways for the violators”, said Sri Ajay Rath, District Coordinator of Rayagada Nagarika Manch.
