Jajpur Goes Past Khurda With Max COVID-19 Positives In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: A sudden spike on Saturday saw Jajpur emerging as the worst affected COVID-19 district in Odisha with the total number of coronavirus positive cases reaching 48 in the district. While so far only one patient has recovered, rest 47 are active cases at the hospital. With this, Jajpur has surpassed Khurda (47) district in the total positives in State.

Jajpur reported eight more positive cases on Saturday, and now is way ahead of Bhubaneswar, Bhadrak and Balasore in active cases.

As of now, 56 people have been cured of the disease while one death has been reported. The number of active cases in the State stands at 100. Till Friday, a total of 36,593 samples were tested, the Health and Family Welfare Department reported.

A look at the travel history of the fresh cases in Jajpur reveals that all are associated, directly or indirectly, with the earlier detected COVID patients having a travel history to Kolkata, West Bengal. Either these are the neighbours or relatives of the West Bengal returnees. All of them have been shifted to quarantine centre and are asymptomatic, officials informed, adding that contact-tracing and follow-up action is being done.

Of the total cases in the state, Bhubaneswar is second in the list now with 47 cases, however, almost two-third of the patients here have recovered. Next in list is Balasore with 20 positive cases, Bhadrak at 19, Sundergarh at 10, Kendrapara, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts two each, while Koraput, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Puri have reported one case each.

Notably, the Odisha government had appealed to all the West Bengal returnees to come forward and get tested for COVID-19. The Health Department said people, who have returned from West Bengal recently, should not hide and must come forward for testing, which is free of cost.

People who have returned from West Bengal recently should not hide. They must come forward for testing. Thay may seem healthy; yet could be infected and also spread infection.They are advised to contact local BDO/Tahasildar/Sarpanch and remain isolated at home. Testing is free.

— H & FW Dept Odisha (@HFWOdisha) May 1, 2020

Post announcement of a further lockdown, Odisha government reclassified different departments into critical and partially critical to manage COVID-19 related workload. The order will be effective from May 4 to May 17.