Covid positive cases in Odisha surge to 1897 in past 24 hours

Bhubaneswar: The daily covid load in Odisha surged to 1897 in the past 24hours taking the cumulative tally in the state to 10,59,773.
The covid positive cases in the state duringthe last one week saw a big jump from 228 on December 31 to 1897 in the past 24 hours.
Health and Family Welfare department sources said out of the 1897 new cases, 1106 were reported from the quarantine centres and 791as local contact cases.
For the first time after a long gap of over one month, all the 30 districts in the state reported covid positive cases.
Khordha district has recorded the highest number of 669 cases (35.2 per cent) followed by Sundargarh (262), Cuttack ( 148), Sambalpur(125) and Balasore ( 100). These five districts together accounted for 68.7 per cent of the total new cases.
Sources said as many as 258 positive cases were reported from the age groups of 0 to 18 years.
During the period only one covid death was reported from Khordha district during the health audit pushing the total fatalities in the state to 8467.
Meanwhile, the active cases in the state also witnessed a big jump during the last week from 1518to 5739 on Thursday.
Khordha district, already declared as Yellow zone has recorded the highest number of 2167active cases(37 per cent) followed by Sundargarh ( 619), Cuttack ( 470), Sambalpur( 348),Balasore (214), Jharsuguda (182), Puri ( 144), Mayurbhanj(126), Jajpur ( 125) and Keonjhar (100).
These ten districts together accounted for 78.32 per cent of the total active cases in the state.
The Test Positivity Rate (TPR) of the state, which was recorded below one per cent, jumped to2.74 per cent on Thursday.
Khordha district reported a 5.4 per cent test positivity rate followed by Sambalpur(3.5 per cent),Puri and Deogarh ( 1.8 per cent each), Mayurbhanj( 1.5 per cent) and 1.4 per cent in both Keonjhar and Jharsuguda district.
Meanwhile, the Bhubaneswar municipal corporation (BMC) has declared four more areas ascontainment zones, taking the total containment zones in the capital city to 14 in the past coupleof days.

Director Health Services Bijya Mohapatra admitted that corona virus cases are rising every dayin the state. He however clarified that the situation is not that severe as reported in several other states in the country. The Omicron cases, however, has spread to almost all the districts in thestate.
Dr Mohapatra said on Wednesday 80,972 persons in the age group of 15 to 18 years were vaccinated in the state spread over 1127 centres and on Thursday the vaccination is going on at 1132 centres. Till Wednesday 2,64,690 doses were administered in the age group of 15 to 18 years.
The Director Health services said till date about 27 lakh people in the state have not taken the first dose of the vaccine and efforts would be made to vaccinate these people at the earliest.
He said the precaution dose of the vaccines for the health workers, front line workers and the people above 60 years of age with co-morbidities would commence on January 10 next.
With the surge in the daily covid positive cases, the state government has issued new covid guidelines to be effective from Friday.
The government has announced night curfew in all urban areas from 9 PM to 5 AM every day,suspended physical classes up to standard XII, prohibited social and religious gatherings,allowed dine-in service for only fifty per cent of the seating capacity on hotels, restaurants, bars,Dhaba and pubs, Political, sports and academic gatherings will be allowed only up to 100persons and fifty per cent of the hall capacity in closed spaces, a capping of 100 persons inmarriage and thread ceremonies and 50 persons in death rituals.
The government offices in the state will function now with 50 per cent staff and the privateoffices were asked to reduce their staff strength.