The Odisha government onSaturday launched a large-scale coronavirus sample test campaign in the state capital here with help of 25 designated teams formed by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), officials said.Around 5,000 samples would be tested from Bhubaneswar alone as the state capital has emerged as one of the hotspots of COVID-19, chief secretary A K Tripathy said on Friday.Of the total 60 COVID-19 positive cases detected so far in Odisha, 46 patients hailed from Bhubaneswar making it a hotspot in the state.All the samples tested on Friday for COVID-19 were negative.Of the 60 positive cases, 21 patients have so far recovered while one person died of COVID-19 on April 6. The total active cases remain at 38 in the state, the official said.Each team consists of a doctor, teacher, police officer and sanitation staff. While two teams each have been permanently attached to three zones, remaining 19 mobile teams will work as per the daily schedule prepared by the zonal deputy commissioners, the official said.Apart from sample test, the BMC has simultaneously launched an enumeration programme to enlist vulnerable groups like vegetable and grocery vendors, medicine store employees, doctors and hospital staff who are exposed outside while providing health care service to the people, said BMC deputy zonal officer Ansuman Rath."The BMC has also started the slum assessment programme conducted by ASHA workers to collect the travel history and the flu symptoms of the slum dwellers. On the basis of the list, we will conduct the test of these slum dwellers on the next day," he said.So far, Odisha has tested 8,619 samples and 8,559 samples came negative with 60 positive cases till April 17 midnight."The BMC has also started the slum assessment programme conducted by ASHA workers to collect the travel history and the flu symptoms of the slum dwellers. On the basis of the list, we will conduct the test of these slum dwellers on the next day," he said.The teams will collect samples in two shifts everyday for seven days from 8 am to 11 am and later from 4 pm to 6 pm, the BMC said in a release.Under the Bhubaneswar Strategy, the state government has prepared a priority list. The category-1 involves the people having travel history to foreign countries or to any corona hotspot within the country, persons having flu symptoms, people who have come in contact with identified COVID-19 patients, persons having severe acute respiratory illness (SARI).Under Category-II, people working in police, health sector, and those engaged in sanitation activities are included, while Category-III will have people at the age of 60 years or above and people having multiple co-morbid conditions.This apart, the government has also made arrangement for test of people on random.
