Odisha reports 6599 new covid cases

Bhubaneswar : Covid positive cases in Odisha soared to 4,14,056 with fresh detection of 6599 cases in the past 24 hours while nine more covid patients succumbed to the virus taking the death toll to 1997 in the state.

Health and Family Welfare department sources said 3827 new cases were registered from the quarantine centres and 2772 as local contact cases form 30 districts in the past 24 hours.

Nine covid patients under treatment in the hospital succumbed to the virus in the past 24 hours taking the total covid fatalities in the state to 1997.

Sources said while three people died in Khordha district ,two passed away in Keonjhar district and one each died in Bhadrak,Cuttack,Ganjam and Sundargarh district.

As many as 17 districts have reported more than 100 new cases in the past 24 hours.Khordha district has reported highest number of 958 cases followed by Nuapada (551),Kalahandi ( 518),Cuttack ( 438), Jharsuguda( 436) and Sundargarh ( 434).

With the recovery of 3464 people on Sunday, so far 3,62931 covid patients have been cured in the state and the active cases till date stands at 49,075.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday night announced to provide free vaccination to nearly two crore people of the state in the age group of 18 to 45 years, which would commence from May 1 next.

Addressing the people of the state through a video conference Mr Patnaik said the government will pay Rs.2000 crore from the state exchequer for the vaccination .

Official sources said the state government has already placed orders for 10.34 lakh doses of Covaxin and 377 lakh doses of Covishield for the purpose.

Odisha is the ninth state in the country to announce free vaccination after Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala , Sikkim and Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, the Sri Jagannath temple was closed for devotees from today till May 15 next to protect the servitors from covid infection.

The Jagannath temple was closed for the devotees on March 25 last year and opened for the devotees in December last after almost being closed for nine months in the first phase of covid amidst lockdown and shut down imposed by the government to contain the spread of the virus.

In another decision,the Puri District Administration has decided not to allow cremation of bodies at Swargadwar brought from outside the district from today in view of surge in Covid positive cases in the district.

The district authorities also decided to prohibit people from performing death rituals at Mahodadhi and Swetganga from today.

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