Odisha +ve cases top 40,000, may double by month-end

BHUBANESWAR: The total Covid-19 positive cases in Odisha crossed the 40,000-mark after the state reported its highest single-day spike of 1,699 new infections on Thursday. Ten more died of the virus, raising the death toll in the state to 235.

A latest government projection said the total infection count in the state may double to 80,000 by August-end.

According to an estimate done by the health department, if the current rate of a 3.2% growth in the positive cases prevails, about 62,000 people of Odisha will be infected by the end August. If a 5% growth rate were to be taken into account, nearly 80,000 people of the state will be infected by then, the health department officials said.

Additional chief secretary Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said, “The projection of 80,000 people being infected by August is on the higher side so that the government is prepared for the worst-case scenario. The idea is that the actual infections must not cross the projection so that the health infrastructure is not found wanting.”

11 Lok Seva Bhawan employees test +ve

Western Odisha, which was reporting relatively less number of Covid positive cases, saw a quantum jump. The three western Odisha districts of Sundargarh, Sambalpur and Bargarh reported their highest-ever infection count of 178, 101 and 81, respectively, in the last 24 hours.

While worst-hit Ganjam added 268 new positive cases, Khurda (220), Cuttack (105), Kandhamal (74), Malkangiri (72), Puri (67) and Bhadrak (66) reported high number of positive cases. Eleven health department employees in the state secretariat (Lok Seva Bhawan) are among those found to have tested positive. The total positive cases in state rose to 40,717.

Government sources said the 30 districts are being divided into 11 clusters so that the districts in each cluster will work as one unit for sharing Covid infrastructure. For example, the state’s worst-hit Ganjam district has been placed in the cluster of Ganjam-Kandhamal-Nayagarh-Gajapati. The health infrastructure of these districts can be used interchangeably and these districts will work like one team in the management of Covid-19, another government official said.

Among the deceased are nine men and a woman. Three men aged 40, 52 and 55 were from Ganjam, while two men (aged 28, 54) from Sundargarh besides one each from Nabarangpur (40), Nayagarh (39), and Kandhamal (61).