2 Surat returnees test COVID-19 positive in Odisha

Bhubaneswar : At a time when Odisha is bracing to receive over five lakh people from other states, two Surat returnees have tested COVID-19 positive in the state.

The two positive patients of the Ganjam district have been identified as a 17-year-old and a 22-year-old youth. Both are Surat returnees and asymptomatic, said the Information and Public Relations department on Sunday.

With this, Ganjam being the 16th district joined the list of COVID-19 affected districts in the state.

Besides, a 40-year female has tested positive in the Jharsuguda district, taking the total positive tally to 160 in Odisha.

After the West Bengal returnees, who have a posed a serious challenge for the state with many testing COVID-19 positive, Odisha is now worried following the arrival of people from other states.

People from other states have started arriving in different parts of Odisha by bus and train.

The first special train carrying as many as 1,150 migrant workers hailing from Odisha reached Jagannathpur Railway Station in Ganjam district on Sunday morning.

The migrants were stranded in Kerala due to the nationwide lockdown.

They will go to their native areas along with respective Panchayat-level officials and undergo a mandatory quarantine for 14 days at the temporary medical camps.

The state government has so far set up 7,261 temporary medical centres in 6,798 gram panchayats of the state.