Unlock Green Zone on the cards

BHUBANESWAR :  With Covid-19 positive cases showing  a declining trend in Odisha during the last week and test positivity rate (TPR) falling below five per cent (pc) in several districts, the State government is likely to start the unlock process in a day or two.

While announcing Covid package for western Odisha districts recently, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had hinted that the government is considering to start the unlock process in areas where the infection rate has started decreasing. 

Speaking to mediapersons on Tuesday, Director of Health Services Bijay Mohapatra said the government is analysing the data of the last 15 days received from the districts and based on this, fresh guidelines will be issued. He said the government will start the unlock process at an appropriate time.

Sources maintained that while some relaxations in business hours are likely to be considered for districts in green and yellow zones, strict lockdown is likely to continue in red zone districts. As per the TPR status released by the government on Tuesday, Jharsuguda (0.4 pc), Balangir (0.88 pc), Sambalpur (1.3 pc), Sundargarh (1.4 pc), Ganjam (1.5 pc), Kandhamal (2.6 pc), Kalahandi (2.8 pc), Nuapada (3 pc), Bargarh (3.32 pc), Dhenkanal (3.37 pc), Kendrapara (3.5 pc), Sonepur (4.2pc), Rayagada (4.7 pc) and Koraput (4.9 pc) are in the green zone. 

Unlock Green Zone on the cards

Six districts, Nabarangpur (5.4 pc), Deogarh (5.41 pc), Boudh (5.59 pc), Angul (5.78 pc), Gajapati (6.29 pc) and Malkangiri (7.2 pc) come under the yellow zone. However, the TPR of Angul and Gajapati is showing an increasing trend.

Similarly, Nayagarh (7.8pc), Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj (7.9 pc), Jagatsinghpur (8.3 pc), Cuttack (8.4 pc), Balasore and Puri (8.9 pc), Bhadrak (9.6 pc), Khurda (11 pc) and Jajpur (22.3 pc) have been put in the red zone. While the TPR of Bhadrak is showing an increasing trend, that of Balasore and Cuttack are declining.

Mohapatra said the pressure on hospitals is also decreasing with more patients recovering from the infection. Stating that enough general beds are available now for treatment of Covid patients, he said 56 pc ICU beds are occupied. 

On Tuesday, Odisha reported 3,405 cases with a TPR of 5.99 pc, the lowest since April 17. 
The government had imposed lockdown from May 5 to 14 and subsequently extended it till June 1. The government then decided to extend it till July 17 while allowing partial relaxations in Nuapada, Gajapati and Sundargarh districts.