Odisha coronavirus update: State's tally reaches 16,701, death toll 86

Odisha's COVID-19 death toll Saturday rose to 86 with three patients succumbing to the infection, while the total case count increased to 16,701 after 591 fresh positive cases were detected, a Health Department official said on Saturday.

At least 607 patients recovered from the disease, taking the number of cured people to 11,937, which is 71.47 per cent of the total virus load in the state. The state's fatality rate, however, remains intact at 0.51 per cent.

What has come as a worry for the administration is that positive cases as well as the fatalities are on the rise since the beginning of July, the official said, adding that as many as 9,636 new positive cases have been reported in a span of only 18 days.

While the state's COVID-19 positive count was just 7,065 on June 30, it mounted to 16,701 on July 18, the official data said.

Similarly, the fatality rate also increased alarmingly. As many as 61 patients have succumbed to the highly infectious virus in 18 days of July. While the death toll till June 30 was confined to 25, it touched 86 on July 18 in the state, the health and family welfare department said.

The surge in COVID-19 cases forced the state government to impose a 14-day lockdown in four high load districts such as Ganjam, Khurda, Cuttack and Jajpur along with Rourkela city.

The first day of the lockdown was satisfactory with people mostly remaining indoors except coming out to buy essentials for a few hours in the morning, an official said.

Regarding Saturday's fresh casualties, the official said two men from Ganjam, aged 63 and 60 years, and a 48-year-old woman from Gajapati died of coronavirus infection.

The woman was also suffering from obesity and sleep apnea, he said.

Of the total COVID-19 fatalities, 52 were reported from Ganjam, followed by Khurda (13), Cuttack (8) and Gajapati (3), while two each were from Angul and Puri, and one each from Baragah, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Rayagada and Sundergarh districts.

Besides, 26 more patients have died in Odisha but their deaths were due to "non-COVID reasons", the official said.

Of the 591 new positive cases, 394 were detected in different quarantine centres and 197 during contact-tracing exercises, the official said, adding that contact tracing and follow-up actions were underway.

The maximum of 182 fresh cases were reported from Ganjam, the worst-hit district followed by 121 from Khurda, 38 from Cuttack, 35 from Bargarh, 22 each from Jagatsinghpur, Nabarangpur and Mayurbhanj, 20 from Sambalpur, 19 from Jajpur, 18 from Sundergarh, 13 from Balasore and 11 from Nayagarh.

Other districts also reported new cases but the numbers are in single digit, the official said.

With new cases, fresh recoveries and fatalities, the state's active case load declined to 4,652 from 4,671 on Friday. The active number came down by 19 after 607 patients recovered and three others died, the official explained.

The health department had conducted 8,155 tests on Friday, he added.

Meanwhile, the administration geared up surveillance in the state capital of Bhubaneswar as the virus tally there touched 1,130.

As more cases are being detected in the city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation with the help of the health department started the sixth round of surveillance with focus on the population-dense slum areas.

"Each person in the slum areas is being surveyed repeatedly in a phased manner and tested if found with symptoms," an official said, adding that 33 per cent of the capital's population lives in slums.

Sourav Garg, Covid Observer for Cuttack district, reviewed the measures and said focus is on extensive testing, tracing and treatment.

Garg also directed the administration to restrict the entry of more visitors and attendants in OPD and casualty of SCB Medical College Hospital and Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre in Cuttack.

Meanwhile, the state government prepared a separate strategy for the worst-hit Ganjam district which has so far reported 5,280 positive cases and 52 deaths.

"It has been decided to augment health infrastructure, expand tele-medicine facility and create awareness in Ganjam," an official said.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, P K Mohapatra has directed the authorities to open OPD and emergency wing of MKCG Medical College in Berhampur. An additional superintendent will soon be appointed in the medical college hospital, he said.

As allegations of private hospitals denying treatment to non-COVID patients from hotspot districts were received, Chief Secretary A K Tripathy warned of strict action.

Terming such act of reluctance to admit patients unethical and illegal, Tripathy said action will be taken against the erring institutions as per law.

The chief secretary said selfless service rendered by persons, either in government or private sector, who succumb to COVID-19 in line of duty under formal deployment by the state authorities for pandemic management, will be recognised appropriately. Their cremation will be done as accorded to martyrs, Tripathy said.

Responding to a call given by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, a group of 10 personnel of Odisha Fire Service have volunteered to donate plasma for the treatment of critically ill COVID patients.

Taking to Twitter, Director General of Fire Services Satyajit Mohanty said 10 such personnel who have recovered from the dreaded coronavirus will donate the plasma for the treatment of other serious patients.