Police check vehicle at Dak Bunglow road during nation wide lockdown in Patna. (File photo)

PATNA: All entry and exit points of Siwan and Begusarai districts, the two coronavirus hotspots in the state, were blocked on Thursday. Altogether 20 people have so far been tested positive for coronavirus in Siwan district and four in Begusarai district. The roads leading to Gopalganj and East Champaran districts were also barricaded and police forces deployed there.

A large number of migrants from Siwan go to Gulf countries in search of job, which is believed to one of the reasons for the rise in coronavirus cases in the district. Raghunathpur, Nautan, Darauli and Barharia blocks in the district have been identified as worst-affected.

The barricades have been erected at Dumaria Ghat and Sattarpur Ghat to restrict movement of vehicles and commuters. “The borders of Siwan district have been sealed and movement of people and plying of vehicles completely banned. Even in emergency, people will not be allowed to venture out of their homes,” DM Amit Kumar Pandey said.

He said medical teams would camp at affected villages to conduct test of the inhabitants on a regular basis and collect samples. Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force have been roped in to make locals aware of the importance of total lockdown and subsequent sealing of the district’s boundaries. BMP personnel have also been deployed in Siwan and Begusarai districts to assist the local police.

Pandey said essential commodities would be supplied to the people by the government machinery only. The exit and entry points of altogether 37 villages under four blocks, earmarked as containment zone, have been sealed by the district authorities, the DM added.

Preventive measures have also been taken in Gopalganj district. “Special surveillance is being maintained in areas falling under Bhore, Thave and Uchkagaon blocks in the district as three people from these areas were tested positive for coronavirus. The villages in the radius of 3km have been sealed,” Gopalganj DM Arshad Aziz said.

The Begusarai district administration sealed the entry and exit points of the district with Patna and other neighbouring districts. Two fresh positive cases were reported from Begusarai on Wednesday, taking the total number of corona positive cases to four in the district. The district’s boundary with Samastipur has also been sealed.

The state police headquarters has deployed two IPS officers in the office of DIG, Begusarai range, to monitor the situation. The IPS officers – Safi-ul Haq and Vinod Kumar – have been asked to assume charge with immediate effect.

Patna DM Kumar Ravi has asked the sub-divisional officer and sub-divisional police officer of Barh to seal the borders of the district with Begusarai as the two from the area tested positive for coronavirus had stayed in Patna before shifting to Begusarai.

Similarly, Nawada district authorities have sealed a village after the test report of one of the suspects came positive.

DGP Gupteshwar Pandey has asked all the SPs to enforce lockdown more effectively in the state.

