Odisha reports over 10k Covid cases for third consecutive day

Bhubaneswar, Jan 15 (IANS) For the third consecutive day, Odisha recorded over 10,000 Covid cases on Saturday.

The state has witnessed 10,856 fresh Covid-19 cases taking the active caseload to 61,809.

The state had reported 10,273 Covid cases on Friday and 10,059 cases on its previous day.

Information and Public Relation department says, out of the 10,856 fresh cases, 1,021 cases were reported in the 0 to 18 years age group. Similarly, 6,293 were detected in quarantine while 4,563 are local contact cases, said the department.

Highest 3087 Covid-19 cases reported in Khordha district, followed by Sundergarh (1943), Cuttack (909), Sambalpur (500) and Mayurbhanj district reported 376 new Covid-19 cases, it said.

A total 74,936 tests were conducted in the state on Friday and the test positivity rate (TPR) soared to 14.48 per cent from 13.57 per cent recorded.

Similarly, the state has confirmed two more Covid-19 deaths following the audit. The death cases were reported from Jagatsinghpur and Puri districts. Now, the death toll in the state stood at 8,478.

Meanwhile, the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar has stopped walk-in OPD services of all specialty and super specialty departments temporarily from January 17 until further order. The institute has also decided to stop or curtail elective surgeries. Only emergency surgeries will be taken up, officials said.

The AIIMS authority has taken this move following many faculty, residents, staff and students of the premier medical institution found infected with the Covid-19 virus, they said.

The patients, who already made their registration online, can attend in their respective department with only one attendant by showing the online booking number.

The overall routine check-up of the patients will continue through AIIMS, Bhubaneswar Swasthya App and telemedicine facility on all working days, the institute said in an order issued on Saturday.

The telemedicine service will be made available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Similarly, the Swasthya mobile app will be at service from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday and 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.