A software engineer who had come to perform his father’s last rites in Odisha’s Ganjam district died of COVID-19 here. His father was also a victim of coronavirus.
U. Satyanarayan Rao, working in a Bengaluru-based IT firm, died in a private hospital here on Monday. His father U. Shankar Rao, a resident of Digapahandi, had succumbed to the infection in a COVID hospital in Ganjam district on July 14.
After performing the last rites, the son had fallen ill and was admitted to the MKCG Hospital, Berhampur, He was subsequently discharged upon feeling well. He had planned his return to Bengaluru on July 26.
However, he complained of severe breathing uneasiness at the Biju Patnaik International Airport and was rushed to hospital. After a two-week hospitalisation, the engineer died.
The worst hit
Ganjam remained the worst affected district of Odisha with 13,088 positive cases (27.57% of the State’s tally) and 137 deaths (47.90% of total deaths in the State). Of late, Ganjam’s daily spike has come down marginally, raising hopes for situation gradually coming under control.
Meanwhile, Khordha district, under whose jurisdiction the capital city of Bhubaneswar comes, has been witnessing a steady rise in COVID-19 cases. Khordha has so far reported 6,663 cases, the second highest after Ganjam. Thirty-eight persons had so far died in the district.
Both Ganjam and Khordha have so far accounted for 19,751 infections — 42.62% of the total cases in the State. Odisha’s case load doubled in 19 days, and surpassed the 47,000-mark with 1,528 new infections on Monday.
CM’s appeal
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday interacted with sarpanchs in Ganjam district on tackling the pandemic.
“It was due to the efforts of sarpanchs the positive rate is decreasing while the rate of recovery is rising. They should not be complacent, but work till the end of the pandemic,” said Mr. Patnaik. He asked the Ganjam district Collector to provide all necessary support to the sarpanchs.