Bhubaneswar: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our lives in all spheres. If one takes the case of the Temple City, the spike has its reach almost everywhere starting from the colonies, apartment complexes, slum clusters and of late from government and private establishments including industrial units.
In each field we have to take appropriate steps as per the time and the nature of the spread and we have to continue obeying the new practices under COVID Protocol on physical distancing, sanitation, using of masks and last but not the least, community awareness with active contribution of our COVID Sachetaks.They have contributed outstandingly for the war against Corona. The community initiative has actually given a different dimension to regulate the spread of COVID-19 in our city,’’ said Commissioner Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Prem Chandra Chaudhary.
Excluding the city and slum pockets, if we consider of the COVID-19 spread in the city various government and private establishments, many have reported several positive cases so far. While 27 were found positive in Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), 25 in SBI Main Branch, 15 in Odisha Hydro Power Corporation, 9 in State Assembly, in Odisha State Housing Board there are 6, Tahasil, Sub-Registrar and Sub-Collector’s office all combined 15, Odisha Tourism 5, Commissionerate Police 70, Special Intelligence Wing 35, Lok Seva Bhawan and Kharavela Bhawan combined 35 were reported COVID-19 positive recently.
Similarly, while 23 were found positive in BMC and BDA, Enforcement Inspector Prafulla Kumar Behera lost his life fighting bravely with Corona Virus at Aditya Ashwini COVID Hospital, here in the city yesterday. He was 55. Behera was cremated at Satyanagar crematorium as a COVID Warrior with State Honour.
As per city administration authorities, as the officials of these offices have to work while interacting with public and their nature of work calls for such situation and field visits, no one can actually know from where one employee actually got the infection. While contact tracing can, to a certain extent find out the nature of infection in a positive person of the above offices, preventive measures are always needed keeping at the profile of the Corona virus.
Not only Government-run offices or establishments, but many private undertaking offices and industrial units i.e. Aditya Birla Fashion Mancheswar had 15 positive cases, 30 from Swosti Premium, 10 from Hotel Crown and 30 from IT major Tech Mahindra are some examples.
Despite being informed at the right time, due to lack of strict adherence to the COVID Protocol and neglect often warrants infection and ultimately it creates anxiety in the minds of the positive cases. “As the preventive measures are very sacrosanct to keep the COVID-19 at bay and being a public health related issue, besides the government efforts the citizens should also become pro-active in abiding by such measures so that we all can win the war over Corona,’’ said BMC COVID Nodal Officer and Deputy Commissioner (Sanitation) Subhendu Kumar Sahoo.
If we consider contact tracing as a vital feedback and exercise in knowing the persons who are or would have been infected by the prime affected one, people should be voluntarily give information to the contact tracing experts in BMC, come to have COVID-testing with suspected or shown symptoms of the disease, keeping oneself isolated from others in case of any infection in family, office or community have become the most important things to follow during this pandemic situation.
“Similarly, one has to openly tell the Ward Officer, ASHA worker, health worker, Anganwadi worker and the State Helpline 104 or BMC Call Centre 1929 (Smart City) so that the Control Room at BMC can take appropriate action with immediate effect,’’ said senior administrative officer Manas Kumar Samal.
If at all a person needs to go out for professional, personal, occupational and employment related compulsions, he/she has to obey the physical distancing rules, use masks properly wash hands frequently and thoroughly and never spit in public or touch eyes, nose or mouth unless the hands are properly washed.
As there is no proper treatment protocol available till date in the entire world, we have to practice all the new things in life and collectively so that we can fight COVID-19 and win over the war against the Novel Corona Virus.