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Updated: Apr 21, 2020 15:30 IST

Even as Odisha experienced the highest single-day spike in Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced ex-gratia assistance of Rs 50 lakh and state funeral for government personnel who die during Covid-19 duty.

The CM said that the State should be grateful for the bold and selfless service rendered by its doctors, health professionals and other support staff like ASHA workers during the pandemic.

In a video message this afternoon, Patnaik said the war against Covid-19 is being fought by doctors and healthcare professionals on the frontlines, assisted by a huge army of support services.

“In the absence of any cure or vaccine, those fighting the Covid war for us are taking a huge risk by putting themselves in the front. We propose to recognize and honour the valiant work being done by our Covid warriors. The state would treat them as martyrs,” said Patnaik, adding that a detailed scheme of awards will be instituted and given on national days.

The CM said families of all government personnel (medical and others) who die during Covid-19 will continue to receive full salary till the date of retirement. Warning against any discrimination and harassment of the doctors and other health workers employed in the containment effort, Patnaik said any act against the doctors and the health workers is an act against the State.

“If any act that will disturb or dishonour their work, very strict criminal action will be taken including invoking the provisions of NSA,” he said, referring to the attack on an ASHA worker in Nayagarh district, who was left scalded after a man poured hot gruel on her face during an awareness session on the spread of the virus.

Last month, Odisha government had floated an advertisement to recruit around 8000 doctors, nurses, paramedics and multipurpose health workers, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and radiographers offering them lucrative amount to join the battle against the pandemic. To boost the morale of the health care staff, chief minister Naveen Patnaik also announced advance payment of 4-months salary to doctors, paramedics and workers engaged in health services in the State.

The announcement came on the day when three doctors and 19 nurses working in a hospital in Jajpur district were sent into institutional quarantine after coming in contact with Covid-19 positive persons while treating them in the OPD. On Monday, 5 labourers of Jajpur district aged between 28 years and 64 years, working in Howrah and Burrabazar area of Kolkata had tested positive, 2-3 weeks after returning from there.

“The recent confirmed cases had come in direct contact with some doctors & paramedical staff at the medical outdoor ward. So we have put all of them in quarantine. All their family members have also been advised to remain in home quarantine,” said Jajpur district collector Ranjan Kumar Das.

Though Odisha did not have any positive cases for consecutive 3 days till April 19, on April 20 there were 18 new cases taking the total number of positive cases in the State to 79. Of the 18 new cases on Monday, 10 were due to the influx of people from Bengal defying lockdown.

Revenue divisional commissioner (eastern) Anil Samal, who is camping in Balasore district that shares a large part of its border with Bengal, said around 2,800 people have trespassed into the Balasore from neighbouring States in the past two months.

The HT Guide to Coronavirus COVID-19

“We’ve received information that people have trespassed into Balasore from WB through unauthorised ambulance rides and by crossing adjoining farmlands with WB border. Appropriate action will be taken against them for violating lockdown guidelines,” said Samal, who had a meeting with State DGP Abhay at Balasore today.

The RDC said around 700 people who have returned from West Bengal and other neighbouring States have registered themselves. “Those who have returned in the last 14 days are being identified and placed under quarantine. Sample testing of these persons will be done on a priority basis. There are many other WB returnees who did not register, may be out of fear. So we have directed the local authorities and police to trace all these people and compulsorily put them in the government quarantine facility. Those violating private quarantine guidelines would be shifted to government centres,” he added.

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