Bhubaneswar: A day after witnessing the biggest 24-hour spike in COVID-19 positive cases, Odisha heaved a sigh of relief after 14 persons recovered from coronavirus infection on Friday. This is the highest recoveries reported from the State in a single day.
As per the data shared by Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department, highest seven recovered patients are from Bhadrak, three each from Bhubaneswar and Balasore and while one COVID-19 patient of Kendrapara recovered today.
So far, Odisha has reported 149 COVID-19 positive cases, with 93 active ones. With the recovery of 14 patients, the total recoveries in the State stand at 55.
As many as 15 out of 30 Odisha districts are now in the grip of COVID-19, with highest 47 cases being reported from Khurda district, followed by 39 in Jajpur, Balasore (20), Bhadrak (19) and Sundergarh (10). Two cases each have been reported from Kalahandi, Bolangir and Kendrapara while districts of Cuttack, Puri, Keonjhar, Deogarh, Dhenkanal and Koraput have reported one case each.
With the latest recoveries, five COVID districts in Odisha- Cuttack, Puri, Kendrapara, Kalahandi and Dhenkanal have ‘zero’ active cases which has come as a major respite for the residents of these districts ahead of the end of lockdown on May 3.
Jajpur district has emerged as a new trouble area for Odisha, reporting four more cases on Friday. Jajpur has the highest 39 COVID-19 active cases in Odisha followed by 17 in Balasore and 16 in Khurda.
Earlier yesterday, 20 COVID-19 positive cases were reported with highest of 17 positive cases coming from Jajpur district alone followed by Balasore with three cases.
Seven more people, including two with a travel history to Tamil Nadu, tested positive for COVID-19 in the State today on Friday. Of the fresh cases, four were reported from Jajpur district, two from Bolangir and one from Balasore.
Bolangir district in the western part of state has reported the Coronavirus infection for the first time and the two patients, aged between 18 and 22 year, had a travel history to Tamil Nadu, a senior official said.
One person with a travel history to Kolkata tested positive for coronavirus in Balasore district.
Of the total 149 COVID-19 cases, Bhubaneswar tops the list with 47, followed by 40 in Jajpur, Balasore (20), Bhadrak (19), Sundergarh (10), Kendrapara, Kalahandi and Bolangir districts two each and Cuttack, Puri, Dhenkanal, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Keonjhar and Koraput districts detecting one case each.
Now, 15 of Odisha's 30 districts are affected with coronavius.
As more than 90 per cent of cases in Balasore, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts have been linked to West Bengal, the health department appealed to people to not hide their travel history.
Those who have returned from West Bengal recently must come forward for COVID-19 testing, it said.
"They may seem healthy but they could be infected and spread infection," the department said, adding that such people are advised to contact local BDOs, tehsildars, sarpanchs and remain in isolation at home.
The department said COVID-19 testing is free.
A total of 2,437 samples were tested for COVID-19 on Thursday. Altogether 34,133 samples have been tested in the state since the outbreak of the disease.