Over 2,000 migrant workers return to Odisha, placed under home quarantine

Berhampur, Mar 24: More than 2,000 migrant workers, who returned to Odishas Ganjam district from other COVID19-hit states by train, were screened at the railway station here and asked to remain under home quarantine by the administration, officials said.

Most of the people who returned to the state on Monday night came from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala, which have witnessed a high number of coronavirus cases so far, they said.

We sealed all the platforms and made sure that the people who returned from other states were screened before they leave for their respective villages, Ganjam District Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said.

Personal and travel details of the migrant workers were registered with the government, he said, adding, all of them were asked to remain under home quarantine for 14 days.

They were asked to maintain social distancing during the isolation period, Kulange said.

Around 40 buses, arranged by the district administration, carried them to their destinations as all government and private buses were suspended owing to the lockdown in the district.

Doctors and paramedical staff were engaged for the screening of the migrant workers at the railway station, the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Ganjam district, R Jagadeesh Patnaik, said.

The district administration has already placed around 350 persons, who returned from abroad and other states, under home quarantine.

As of now, they have not shown any symptoms of coronavirus. But we are keeping a close watch on them, an official said.

If anyone shows symptoms of coronavirus infection, he/she will be immediately admitted to the isolation ward, the Superintendent of MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Santosh Kumar Mishra, said.