COVID-19 Peak In Bhubaneswar, Active Cases To Cross 5000 By September 15

Bhubaneswar: The present scenario indicates that Bhubaneswar is witnessing a peak in COVID-19 infections and as per projection, the number of active COVID cases will go past 5000 by September 15, 2020, informed Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, Prem Chandra Chaudhary on Monday.

Terming that the month of September is going to be ‘critical’ for the smart city denizens, BMC Commissioner said, “We had earlier projected that Bhubaneswar will have around 3500 COVID-19 active cases by August-end, which was eventually witnessed. As per current projection, active case count is likely to surge past 5000 by September 15. We are working as per special strategy and focusing on home isolation.”

Bhubaneswar today reported 404 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 10,425. While the total active cases in the city stand at 4038, 6334 positive patients have recovered from the disease. The COVID-19 death toll in Bhubaneswar stands at 42.

Update on newly detected & cured #COVID19 cases in the last 24 hrs under the BMC area on 31st Aug 2020(till 9am).

The ward wise active cases, cured cases are shared. pic.twitter.com/JjOrYFCtGi

— BMC (@bmcbbsr) August 31, 2020

It is pertinent to mention here that Bhubaneswar is witnessing a steep spike in COVID-19 cases since the month of August. The smart city had reported highest-single day spike of 515 coronavirus cases on August 30, after registering 505 positives on August 29.

BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary further informed that at present there is no pressure on healthcare infrastructure and isolation beds despite the COVID spike. Nearly 2500 to 3000 tests are being conducted every day and people can visit 23 different locations to undergo COVID-19 testing.

According to Chaudhary, 10 wards in the city are severely-affected by the deadly virus and these areas have reported a very high number of COVID-19 cases. All these 10 wards including non-slum areas are now under active surveillance.

Detailing the possible reasons behind the spike in COVID-19 cases, BMC Commissioner said, “As most of the top healthcare centres are located in Bhubaneswar, people from different parts of Odisha come to the city for private testing and all kinds of treatment. The worldwide trend suggests that COVID-19 cases go up in a particular area and there is a drop after the peak. Flight and train operations are also underway in the city. We are trying to strike a balance between virus and economy,” the BMC Commissioner added.

(Edited By Devbrat Patnaik)

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