COVID19 Super Spreader In Odisha’s Jharsuguda, Infects Almost 17

Jharsuguda: Anniversary and birthday celebrations proved costly as a woman ‘super spreader’ ended up infecting 17 people with Covid-19 here in this district on Sunday. According to officials, 25 Covid-19 cases were detected in Jharsuguda till June 20, out of which 17 were from three families who breached home quarantine guidelines.

District Collector of Jharsuguda, Saroj Ku Samal said that all 17 positive cases were part of the birthday and anniversary celebrations, in which the Covid-19 positive woman took part.

On June 14, a woman along with her spouse and son returned from Gurgaon via Delhi and Bhubaneswar had tested Covid-19 positive. The woman was staying at her uncle’s place in Brajrajnagar, OMP area of Jharsuguda and was asked to stay in isolation for 14 days and obey the protocols of home quarantine, said the Collector of Jharsuguda.

The woman on the other hand violated the guidelines and organised a birthday party for her son during home quarantine and invited the neighbours. The area where she was staying had been declared as containment zone. She also went on to attend an anniversary celebrations in her neighbourhood where she infected 17 people.

We have lodged a complaint against the families under Section 15 of the Disaster Management Act and Sections 296, 271 and 188 of IPC. Despite our requests and repeated warnings, people are not adhering to the home quarantine rules, said the District Collector.