35 Covid deaths, 11,000 fresh cases in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR :  Even as the infection rate is stable in Odisha, the Covid deaths saw an upsurge as the State recorded its highest single day fatalities with 35 people succumbing to the disease in last 24 hours.
As many as 11,623 people tested positive for the virus taking the tally to 7,26,003. The positivity rate was 16.7 per cent as 69,407 samples including highest 23,948 through RT-PCR were tested during the period.

Angul and Khurda reported five fresh fatalities each, while four deaths each were recorded in Nabarangpur and Sundargarh and three in Kendrapara. Two persons each in Jharsuguda, Kalahandi and Koraput districts and one each from nine other districts also fell to the disease pushing the death toll to 2,584. Of the fresh cases, 6,509 were in quarantine and 5,114 detected during contact tracing. The Covid hotspots Khurda and Cuttack remained on the top of the chart with 2,021 and 998 cases respectively.

Among other worst-hit districts, Angul recorded 823 cases, followed by Sundargarh (699), Balasore (508), Puri (462), Bhadrak (461) and Dhenkanal (441). Barring Kalahandi and Nabarangpur, which registered 352 and 300 cases respectively, the infection rate is declining in other western Odisha districts. The infection is, however, rising rapidly in Jagatsinghpur (316) and Nayagarh (315) besides Boudh (206). Coastal Kendrapara is also witnessing an upsurge in cases. 

Even as the State government had stopped Covid testing in three districts of Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj from May 25 to 27, the testing data shared by the Health department indicated that 4,415 tests in Balasore, 2,118 in Bhadrak and 1,859 in Keonjhar were conducted on May 25 raising doubts over pendency of test reports.  

The State now has 99,738 active cases while as many as 6,12,993 people have recovered from the disease, including 10,635 on Wednesday.  Over 1.15 crore samples have been tested in the State so far, said officials.