The Odisha government on Monday started strictly implementing its decision of not allowing any people to enter the state without a COVID-19 negative report or the final vaccination certificate.
Those travelling without RT-PCR negative report will now have to furnish their details and undergo seven-day mandatory quarantine," said Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Commissioner PC Chaudhary.
On-the-spot testing is being done on the persons having symptoms of the flu at the airport, he added.
The state government strictly checked the negative RT-PCR report of people entering the state at airports, bus stands. Even Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was seen standing in a queue at the Biju Patnaik International Airport to have his RT-PCR negative report verified at the counter.
The state has also sealed its border with Chhattisgarh and set up checking points in the borders of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, keeping in view the resurgence in COVID-19 cases across the state, the Odisha government Monday imposed restrictions on the visit to hospitals and health facilities in a bid to check the spread of infection.
The Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) Monday in a letter to the authorities of all medical colleges, director of Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, Rourkela Government Hospital, chief district medical officers and public health officers, told them to strictly enforce COVID-19 protocols in health care facilities.
The DMET also issued guidelines and infection control measures. It said the central registration will be suspended for the time being and manual registration will be taken up with due social distancing measures in each OPD to avoid large gatherings at the Central Registration Counter.
Non-essential admission will be avoided in the hospital, the letter mentioned adding that only emergency surgeries to be conducted and all elective surgeries to be stopped.
This apart, only one attendant will be allowed for serious indoor patients. No attendant will be allowed inside the ward for an ambulatory patient, it said adding that the doctors in the OPD have been advised against calling patients for frequent re-visits unless required.
The guideline also prohibited visit of media inside the OPD and IPD, the guideline said, adding that the number of counters should be increased and social distancing enforced.
Dedicated fever clinic, isolation ward, and testing facilities to be established as per previous guidelines and all hospitals must have facilities to deal with all types of emergency procedures including maternity and child care with COVID prevention protocol, mentioned in the letter
It said the people are to be encouraged to utilize existing telemedicine service for their alignments.
It also said: To ensure that no emergency case is denied timely medical care in the name of COVID.
Meanwhile, a communication from the State Police Headquarters said that on the fifth day of the special Covid enforcement drive, action was taken against 1,1410 violators of mask usage and social distancing rules and Rs 33,41,200 fine was collected n the last 24 hours.
Cumulatively, in five days, action has been taken against 56,256 violators of Covid protocols in the state and fines amounting to Rs 1, 58, 73, 200 have been collected.
We urge all to observe Covid appropriate behaviour. The enforcement measures will be further intensified in the coming days, said DGP Abhay.
