Bargarh: As the state put in every effort to fight off a massive second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, one village stood out as a beacon of hope.
Believe it or not, Antaradi in Bargarh district has not reported a single coronavirus positive case till date.
Sarpanch Bishnu Pradhan, who has led the battle to keep the village COVID-free, said that their focus has been on awareness campaigns and urging people to strictly adhere to the basic COVID-appropriate norms — social distancing, wearing of masks and using sanitizers.
Pradhan informed that public address system was being used continuously to spread awareness among all villagers. Special sanitary measures have also been taken to keep the virus at bay.
Another important measure that the village took was to impose strict restrictions on movement. No outsiders are allowed to not enter the village, thus reducing risk of transmission of the deadly virus.
Anganwadi worker Salita Sahu said that door-to-door awareness campaigns are carried out to convince villagers that adhering to guidelines will save them from coronavirus.
Tehsildar Sitaram Bhoi felt awareness campaigns have made the difference, adding that villagers have cooperated wholeheartedly with the administration to keep Antaradi coronavirus-free.