By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, February 27, 2021: Odisha Government on Saturday has ordered a seven-day home isolation mandatory for people arriving from five ‘high risk’ states.
All incoming passengers from Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will remain in isolation for a week.

As per the modified order, they will be subjected to RT-PCR test if they develop any symptom during the period, and treated as per Covid protocol, if found positive.

However, the home isolation is exempted for asymptomatic travellers, who produce RT-PCR negative report (done not more than 72 hours before boarding) or Covid vaccination final certificate.

Last week, the Health and Family Welfare department had made home isolation mandatory for returnees from 12 states and UTs – Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Karnataka, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh.

Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare department PK Mohapatra said the instructions issued to Collectors, Municipal Commissioners and Chief District Medical Officers have been partially modified and now the precautionary measures will be applicable to people arriving from five ‘high risk’ states instead of 12.

“The situation is under watch and the surveillance on returnees will be extended to other States in future if the situation warrants. The officials have been directed to enforce the guidelines accordingly,” Mohapatra added.

Meanwhile, Odisha reported 86 new Covid-19 cases from 21 districts in the last 24 hours taking the tally to 3,37,104.

The maximum 10 cases were recorded in Sundargarh, followed by nine each in Khurda and Sambalpur.

So far, 3,34,463 patients have recovered and 1968 have died.

The number of active cases now stands at 673. As many as 83,00,449 tests have been conducted in the State.