The 150-bed hospital, equipped with Intensive Care Units (ICU) facilities, will start functioning from today.
Meanwhile, the number of beds at the SUM Covid-19 Hospital have been increased from the existing 250 to 500. A 60-bed Covid-19 care center in Patia and another 45-bed center in Dumduma are also in the offing.
BMC sources said that as many as three quarantine centers have been set up at Ghatikia, Gajapati Nagar and KIIT, respectively. As many as 4o beds in OYO hotels have been identified to be used as paid quarantine and isolation facilities.
The move comes in the backdrop of the second wave of Covid-19 which has gripped several parts of the country and the State. Under such circumstances, it is estimated that there will be a need for large numbers of quarantine and isolation facilities for housing suspected Covid-19 cases, asymptomatic, mild symptomatic positive cases in order to contain the spread.
The Covid-19 single-day cases in Odisha breached 2000-mark today for the first time in 2021 when as many as 2267 persons tested positive and three patients succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours.
While seven districts registered three-digit figures, Sundargarh district topped the list with 458 cases, followed by Khordha (348), Sambalpur (120), Bargarh (120), Cuttack (117), Nuapada (104) and Nabarangpur (104).
According to official sources, the second Covid-19 hospital at VIMSAR is likely to come up within 10 days. The new hospital at VIMSAR will have 300 beds out of which 250 will be of general category and 50 will be Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
“The hospital will be set up at the newly constructed medicine ward of VIMSAR,” informed the Chief Secretary of Odisha Suresh Chandra Mahapatra adding that 250 more beds will be added to the old Covid-19 hospital.
Meanwhile, Mohapatra reviewed the Covid-19 situation in Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Bargarh districts along with the Health Secretary and Director of Medical Education & Training (DMET).
“After reviewing the Covid-19 situations in three districts we have decided to set up the second hospital at VIMSAR within 10 days. We are trying to set up more than 525 beds in VIMSAR only,” said Mohapatra.
“In view of the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in Chhattisgarh the State administration is alert and well prepared to meet any kind of eventualities. We are ensuring enough supply of medicines, Oxygen cylinders, PPE kits, equipment and masks to check the infection. We urge the people of the State to adhere to the Covid-19 norms including maintenance of social distancing and use of masks,” he said.
According to reports, the temple and district administrations have made elaborate arrangements for the smooth observance of the festival in adherence with the pandemic protocols.
Devotees have been allowed to have the darshan of the Goddess following rituals like Snana (bath), Majana and Sunabesha (golden attire). Keonjhar district administration, which issued some fresh guidelines for the famous festival of the Goddess, stated that the devotees would be allowed darshan from April 9 to 12 and after April 14. The public darshan of the Goddess during the period will be allowed from 7am to 12.30 am and 3.30pm to 7pm every day.
The district administration has banned public darshan at Goddess Tarini temple in Ghatgaon on April 13 and 14 on Chaiti Parba and Pana Sankranti. The decision has been taken by the administration anticipating heavy footfall at the shrine on the festive occasion.
However, all rituals will be performed by the servitors in strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols. Devotees will not be allowed to offer ‘Bhoga’ at the famous site. All the shops selling puja materials for offerings will remain closed during ‘Chaiti Parba’.
Similarly, distribution of ‘Pana’ and Anna Prasad has been restricted this year. All the rituals and special Puja of the Goddess will be telecast on social media, the administration stated through a statement.
These apart, no cultural programmes will be allowed to be performed on the occasion.
(Edited by Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)
In a letter to railway board chairman Suneet Sharma, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra also requested to ensure that all passengers travelling to Odisha, from anywhere by train, must have an RTPCR negative test report of maximum 72 hours before the start of journey or a second dose of vaccination certificate. This restriction shall come into force from boarding date of April 10, 2021.
The State government’s request came following significant surge in Covid-19 cases in many states such as Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
“Even though the situation in Odisha is not alarming, the cross border movements of people is now impacting the Covid-19 situation adversely in almost all border districts of Odisha. In view of this prevailing situation and trend, restrictions on passenger movement by Railways may be imposed by the government of Odisha,” the letter read.
According to official sources, presently, a total of 18 pairs of passenger trains of the East Coast Railway are either originating or passing through Chhattisgarh.
Meanwhile, the State government has ordered the State Transport Commissioner to restrict all modes of public transportation to Chhattisgarh from April 10-30. The collectors have also been ordered to adhere to strict checking in the border check posts. People coming to the State through the check posts sans Covid-19 negative reports and vaccine certificates will have to undergo quarantine for seven days.
(Edited by Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty)
According to reports, the squad found students at Mahendra’s Coaching Centre flouting the pandemic safety protocols during checks at its premises in the Arunodaya Market area. Later they sealed the centre and issued a show cause notice to the director.
However, students of the institute were furious after the closure of the centre and slammed CMC authorities for excessive action.
“The classroom has a strength of 80 students and only 30 students were sitting inside with proper social distancing and wearing masks. I don’t think there was any violation of Covid-19 norms in our classroom. The government authorities are taking excessive action against educational institutions on the pretext of strict enforcement,” alleged a student.
Other students alleged that the government authorities are playing with their future by targeting educational institutions alone.
“The authorities have turned a blind eye towards crowded places like buses, political rallies and market places. The students are at the receiving end due to the closure of the educational institutions. Will they give us age relaxation for building our career?” rued another student.
Earlier this week, a private coaching centre at Jaydev Vihar in Bhubaneswar had been sealed for allegedly violating Covid-19 guidelines.
The action was taken by the enforcement squad of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in a bid to curb the rising number of fresh positive cases in the Capital city.
Enforcement has been intensified in the Twin Cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar following a surge in positive cases.
According to reports, some people were penalised for violating the Covid-19 guidelines in market places during the drive. Special emphasis was laid on the enforcement of mask use and maintenance of social distancing norms.
“Following directives of the Director General of Police, we have intensified the enforcement drive at various places in the city where Covid-19 norms are violated and penalised people by levying fines. We appeal people to maintain all Covid-19 norms including wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing,” said Bhol.
Here are the photographs detailing the special enforcement drive by Sambalpur police.
To put a lease on the steady rise in the cases of Covid-19, the State police have begun a special drive from Wednesday.
According to police sources, surveillance has been intensified in market places, malls, schools, colleges and other educational institutions. Some people have been penalised for violating the guidelines in market places too. Special emphasis is laid on the enforcement of mask use and maintenance of social distancing norms.
“We have intensified raids at various places where Covid-19 norms were allegedly violated and penalised people by levying heavy fines. We appeal people to maintain all Covid-19 norms including wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing,” said Priyadarshi.
Here are few scenes of police crackdown in Bhubaneswar.
Despite appeals by the government and massive awareness as well as enforcement drives by the police, people continue to throw the Covid-19 safety protocols including social distancing, mask and no large congregation norms to the wind, said a police official.
As per the official data, altogether five cases have been registered against Covid-19 rule violators during the period. A total 77 persons have been arrested for flouting the norms and as many as 2985 vehicles have been seized.
On April 3, 2021, police collected fine of Rs 27,21,800 and registered two cases. While 14 people were arrested, 435 vehicles were seized.
Similarly, only one case was registered on the next day and 15 people were arrested. A fine of Rs 27,91,300 was collected from the violators and 780 vehicles were seized.
On April 5, Odisha Police collected fine of Rs. 27,64,000 and one case was registered. While 21 people were arrested, 900 vehicles were seized.
Rs 24,91,300 was collected from the flouters and a case was registered in this connection on the following day. While Odisha Police arrested 27 people, as many as 870 vehicles were seized till Wednesday evening.
(Edited by Suryakant Jena)
Health department sources said that the State government is also focusing on aggressive testing and tracking of positive cases among the people coming from Chhattisgarh.
Odisha reported 573 positive cases in the last 24 hours, nearly 40 per cent of which are from the districts bordering Chhattisgarh. This is the highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases reported this year. This has come as a big challenge for the health administration in the State.
Health officials said the movement of people from the high-risk states is closely monitored apart from aggressive testing and localising containment measures. As the Central guideline prohibits restriction on movement of inter-State bus services, the State government has decided to hold talks with the Collectors and SPs in bordering districts of Chhattisgarh to decide further course of action.
“The State government is fully alert on the surge of Covid-19 in the bordering districts. The district administration has been ordered to take necessary steps and intensify the vaccination drive to control transmission of the virus in the districts reporting surge in positive cases. More focus will be given to the vulnerable people with comorbidities,” stated Bijay Panigrahy, Director of State Health and Family Welfare Department.
Meanwhile, Panigrahy said that the State is running short of Covishield vaccines.
“There is stock of six lakh doses of Covishield, which will be exhausted in two days. The government has written a letter to the Centre seeking supply of adequate vaccines. However, there is sufficient amount of Covaxin vaccines,” said Panigrahy adding that 33,04,732 vaccine doses have so far been administered in the State and it has been targeted to vaccinate 1.16 crore people.