Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar sealed after 45 students test positive for COVID-19

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday sealed the XIMB for ten days prohibiting entry and exit from the institutions after 45 students tested covid positive.

All the students and others were kept in isolation in the XIMB and all of them were undergoing tests.

Meanwhile, state Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra today reviewed the situation with all District Collectors and Superintendents of Police in view of a steep hike in covid infection cases in the state today. Among others Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena and DGP Abhay were present in the meeting.

The State reported 146 new positive cases in the past 24 hours with Khordha registering the maximum number of 35 cases followed by Cuttack (25) and Mayurbhanj (13).

While 87 cases have been detected from the quarantine centres 59 are local contract cases.

Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena told newspersons most of the 45 students infected with covid +ve in the XIMB are from outside the state.

Mr Jena said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to review the covid situation with all district collectors and SPs tomorrow.

He said the plan is on to reactivate the Corona Management Committee and to ask the Ward Members, Sarpanches, ASHA workers and Anganwadi workers again to keep a vigil on the people coming to villages from outside.

The DGP has directed the SPs to strengthen the enforcement in business establishments and malls and to ensure that the COVID norms are strictly enforced.

A decision on lockdown and other issues would be taken considering the situation, official sources said.

Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said a public awareness campaign at different levels is going to sensitise people at the direction of the Chief minister.

Direction has been issued to increase the RT-PCR test, contact tracing and surveillance to prevent spread of the virus. Since most of the cases are asymptomatic, importance is being  given to home isolation.

He said the government is considering tightening the rules in phases.

A decision in this regard will be taken after discussion at a higher level. The government will take a decision whether to impose lockdown or curfew, he said.

Family welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi said as many as 17,84,839 persons including 92,9075 senior citizens have been vaccinated till Saturday last.

Almost 20 per cent of the Senior citizens have been inoculated against the virus. The government, he said, has given direction to strictly enforce the covid guidelines.