Odisha logs record 42 fatalities, 8,839 new coronavirus infections

Infection tally is at 7,90,970

Odisha on Thursday registered its highest single-day spike of 42 COVID-19 fatalities, raising the toll to 2,873, while 8,839 fresh cases pushed the tally to 7,90,970, a health department official said.

The fatality rate in the coastal state stands at 0.36 per cent, which is still one of the lowest in the country, and the positivity rate at 6.61 per cent, the official said.

Taking to Twitter, the health department said, "Regret to inform about the demise of forty two Covid positive patients while under treatment in hospitals."

Of the 42 fatalities, five were reported from Sundergarh, followed by four each from Cuttack and Kalahandi, three each from Boudh, Jharsuguda and Khurda, and two each from Angul, Balasore, Bolangir, Deogarh, Gajapati, Kendrapara, Nabarangpur and Rayagada.

One each succumbed to the infection in Bargah, Bhadrak, Ganjam, and Puri.

This apart, 53 other COVID-19 patients in the state have died due to comorbidities.

Khurda district, of which state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the maximum number of new cases at 1,235, followed by Cuttack at 769 and Mayurbhanj at 583.

Six other districts recorded less than 100 cases each -- Bolangir (89), Gajapati (52), Kandhamal (58), Koraput (99), Malkangiri (85) and Nuapada (34).

Accordingly, the number of active cases in Odisha climbed to 85,423.

As many as 7,02,621 patients have recovered from the highly infectious disease, the official said.

Over 1.19 crore sample tests have been conducted in the state, including 70,178 on Wednesday, the highest so far in a single day, he added.