Naveen Patnaik Seeks "Cooperation" As Odisha Preps For Return Of Migrants

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has appealed to citizens to unite to help those returning from outside the state as it prepares to bring them back from states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. Everyone coming back will be registered and kept in compulsory quarantine, the Chief Minister said on Wednesday.

In his appeal, Mr Patnaik said, "Now I am making the third appeal. We have to take care of those returning from West Bengal. Among those who have returned from West Bengal there are 50 coronavirus positive cases. Because of our cooperation we have been able to tackle the situation and it is under control. The next few days are very important. The most seriously affected sates of the country are Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan and our neighbour West Bengal. Over the next few days, a lot of Odia brothers and sisters will come back to Odisha from these places. People remember their mother and motherland at these times."

"Taking care of our sons and daughter and brothers and sisters is our responsibility. Due to people coming in, number of positive cases may go up but the situation will be under control if you cooperate fully with the government. We have to be careful and remain patient. We will register those returning from outside. You have to help the government in keeping them in quarantine. With this, they will remain healthy, our families will remain healthy, our village will remain healthy and our society will remain healthy," Mr Patnaik added.

According to reports, the Odisha Government is gearing up for the return of an estimated five lakh people who are stuck in other states due to the lockdown. From some places like Surat, some labourers have already started their journey back home. The state government says it is ready to make arrangements for those returning home with several COVID-19 hospitals being set up in districts. The government has also set up a WhatsApp information desk on COVID-19 to share details about containment measures.

Seven people, including six with recent travel history to West Bengal, tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 125, officials said.

Of the 125 COVID-19 cases reported in Odisha so far, 47 are from Bhubaneswar, 19 each from Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore, 10 from Sundergarh, two each from Kendrapara and Kalahandi, and one each from Cuttack, Puri, Dhenkanal, Koraput, Jharsuguda, Deogarh and Keonjhar districts. Officials said contact-tracing and follow-up are being done after the fresh cases were detected.

Odisha has had initial success in containing the spread of COVID-19. Officials from the state are now in touch with officials from other states to facilitate the return of Odia people who want to come back to their home state. The government says it's taking precautions to ensure the movement of migrant labour does not increase the number of cases in the state.