Bhubaneswar : The covid cases in Odisha today showed a decline trend and reported over 8000 cases after registering an all time high of over 10 K on Saturday.Considering the gravity of the covid situation in the state ,the Odisha government today announced a complete lockdown in the entire state from May 5 till May 19 in a bid to contain the spread of the virus showing no letting down.
Health and Family Welfare department sources said 8015 new cases including 4568 from quarantine centres and 3447 local contact cases,were reported from 30 districts in the past 24 hours taking the covid tally in the state to 4,62,622 .
At the same time 14 covid patients under treatment, succumbed to the virus in the past 24 hours pushing the total fatalities to 2068.Rayagada district reported four deaths followed by two in Keonjhar while one each death was reported from eight other districts.
Official sources said 25 of the 30 districts in the state reported more than one hundred new cases in the past 24 hours of which eight districts have registered more than 300 cases in a single day.
Khordha district with 1275 cases continued to register the highest number of covid cases followed by Sundargarh ( 735),Angul ( 525),Cuttack ( 482) and Sambalpur ( 441).The active cases in the state shut up to 69,453 while 3,91,048 covid patients have so far been recovered from the infection.
Meanwhile, in a major decision, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today declared the working journalists in the state as frontline covid warriors, a demand being raised by the journalist with the death of nearly 15 media men in covid during the second phase alone.
Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra described the covid situation as extraordinary and said the country is now facing a catastrophic situation.
He said last year during the peak period Odisha had reported on an average of 4000 to 4500 cases every day but during the second phase the state has been reporting almost two and half times more of 8000 to 10,000 cases every day.
Such an unprecedented rise of covid cases has a direct pressure on the hospital which may lead to heavy demand on ICU and Ventilators. Mr.Mohapatra said several districts have already turned into hot spots for covid cases.
Meanwhile,DGP Abhaya today visited four western Odisha districts to review the ongoing covid enforcement drive and plans for implementation of the lockdown from May 5onwards. He reviewed the ramping up enforcement measures, strict implementation of lockdown and weekend shutdown, strengthening vigil on interstate movement by more stringent checks at border check posts and preparedness to ramp up Police assistance .
DGP also interacted with Policemen engaged in enforcement duties and verified about their wellbeing and operational matters. He also reviewed the border sealing arrangements on Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh borders. Border Check posts connecting to Jharkhand border are maintaining vigil at Mahipani, and Sarda under Bisra PS and Jhirpani bridge and Sankha bridge under Birmitrapur Police station.
Official sources said the border checks connecting to Chhattisgarh are active at Taparia, Lulkidihi, Rajgangpur Railway station. Further, border check posts connecting to Jharkhand at Old Octroi check post, Telijore, Gotitangar, Salangabahal are functioning round the clock in Sundargarh district.
Similarly, border check posts connecting Chhattisgarh at Kanakpura, Lara chhak, Bikram Palli in Jharsuguda district are functioning to check the interstate movement. As many as 3 platoons forces have been deployed for Covid enforcement duty in Rourkela, 4 platoons each in Sundargarh and Jharsuguda and 7 Platoons in Sambalpur district.
Sources said about 214 tankers with 3964.542 MT medical oxygen from Odisha have been escorted by the Odisha Police in the last 10 days to needy states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Chhattisgarh.
A total of 82 tankers/containers carrying 1570.702 MT medical oxygen have been escorted from Rourkela alone.
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