Below 800 Covid-19 cases a day by July 15: IIT Kanpur

BHUBANESWAR: Going by the pace of drop in the daily infection count in Odisha, it is expected to go down below 800 by July 15, IIT Kanpur has projected.
At the current rate, Odisha is likely to see about 739 cases a day in two weeks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a consistent test positivity rate of less than five per cent for at least two weeks can be interpreted as the pandemic situation being under control. A low TPR value also indicates that restrictions are expected to be eased soon.
The report further said 5,80,067 cases were reported in Odisha, along with 2199 fatalities, during the second wave. It added that the daily infection count has reduced by 73.6% compared to the peak. The active cases have also dipped by 71.8% from its peak of 98,991 on May 23. However, health experts viewed the projection of the premier tech institute as a very slow pace of decline.
State reports 2,917 fresh Covid cases
Odisha’s situation may be improving, but new cases are concentrated in some parts of the state. This shows that people are still careless and have little regard for what is deemed as Covid-appropriate behaviour. We have been consistently seeing around 3,000 cases every day with Khurda and Cuttack adding the lion’s share. Micro containment strategies have to be followed in true letter and spirit,” Ajay Parida, director, Institute of Life Sciences, said.
The IIT study cautioned people and asked them to strictly follow Covid protocols even after restrictions are lifted to avoid any fresh wave.
Meanwhile, the state reported 2,917 new cases from among 71,554 samples tested, registering a positivity rate of 4.07%. Khurda continues to see 500 plus cases, while Cuttack has also been reporting around 500 cases every day. Khurda and Cuttack together contributed 981 cases, which is more than 30% of the day’s count.
The four western districts of Nuapada, Kalahandi, Balangir, Bargarh together accounted for only 58 new cases. These four districts next to Chhattisgarh used to report 40% of the total caseload on a given day.
The central team will arrive in Odisha on Monday and visit some districts with high positivity rate.