COVID-19: Odisha Govt Tracks Bengal Returnees Via Mobile Locations

Bhubaneswar: To contain the spread of COVID-19 in Odisha, the state government has started tracking the mobile phone locations of people with travel history to neighbouring West Bengal.

So far, over 2,900 people, who have returned from West Bengal on or after March 25, have been traced based on their phone locations. The returnees belong to 29 out of the 30 districts in Odisha.

National Health Mission (NHM) Director Shalini Pandit has directed the district administrations to identify the returnees, send their samples for testing and place them under home quarantine.

Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Makarand Beura said, “We have tracked 21 out of total 43 returnees in Koraput district. We have collected their samples and sent them to RMRC in Bhubaneswar last night for testing. This method of tracking will surely be helpful in breaking the chain of transmission of the virus.”

Balasore district has recorded 772 West Bengal returnees, Jajpur has identified 329 returnees, Bhadrak has 242 returnees and Boudh has tracked only one such returnee till date.

Besides mobile tracking, the state government has also directed sarpanchs to identify such returnees at the panchayat level.

According to reports, around 33 returnees with travel history to West Bengal have tested COVID-19 positive in the state. These people are residents of Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts.