Alarm Bells Ring Again:  743 new Covid-19 casses detected

By A Iswar Rao

BHUBANESWAR, JULY 13: Odisha on Wednesday recorded 743 new Covid-19  cases, the state’s highest daily infection number in over the last several months. The sharp uptick in the new positives took the active infection tally to 3,878.

Of the fresh infections, 436 were detected from quarantine while the rest 307 are local transmission. Similarly, 87 cases are from the age group of 0 to 18 year.  Khurda continued to post the biggest spike in the number of infections with the district on Wednesday reporting 303 cases.

As many as 115 cases were also detected from Cuttack too, said a data released by the state health department.

State health and family welfare department director Bijay Mohapatra said that post the Ratha Yatra which concluded Tuesday with the return of Lord Jagannath to Srimandir from a nine-day sojourn at Srigundicha temple, the state is likely to see a further surge in the number of Covid-19 cases.

 The Ratha Yatra festival which started on July 1 with Ghosha Yatra of Lord Jagannath and concluded with Niladri Bije (return to temple) of the deity on Tuesday, marked lakhs of devotees from across the country thronging pilgrim city Puri to witness the grand annual spiritual event.

However, Mohapatra added that the present trend of infections indicates that the rise in infections may not be as big or rapid as in the earlier waves of pandemic.

“The Odisha government is closely watching the situation, especially the return of people to their various native districts after Ratha Yatra celebrations in Puri. The government is monitoring the districts on the parameters of community positivity, said the state health director.

The top health administrative official further informed that the current situation of the infections may last till mid August and thereafter the State may see an improvement in the scenario.

Mohapatra also informed about the first death of a patient in this wave of Covid cases and urged non-vaccinated people to duly take jabs as soon as possible.

Odisha has so far registered 12,95,328 Covid-19 cases. While 12,82,690 patients have recovered, 9,127 died of the pandemic.