BHUBANESWAR: In a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases in Odisha, 13 persons, including a two-year-old kid, tested positive on Monday taking the total number of cases to 74 in the state.
The fresh positive cases included five each from Bhadrak and Jajpur, two from Balasore and one from Sundergarh district.
What is alarming is that 10 persons of Bhadrak and Jajpur districts with recent travel history to West Bengal have tested positive for COVID-19 during the last 24 hours.
Chief spokesperson Subroto Bagchi said of 74 positive cases so far recorded in the state, 24 are linked to West Bengal. “It accounts for around 32 per cent of the total positive cases. The persons have either returned from the neighbouring state or come in contact with the returnees," he said.
Contact tracing of all the new cases are going on and follow up action is also being taken. The State Government has asked Collectors of districts concerned to inquire when did they return and whether they had informed the local administration, he added.
Of Bhadrak’s five positive cases, aged 48, 55, 57, 58 and 66, all men, three are from Basudevpur block and two are from Bhandaripokhari block. Similarly, among five cases, aged 28, 32, 50, 58 and 64 in Jajpur district three belong to Jajpur block and one each hails from Korei and Dasarathpur.
Though the 40-year-old man of Bisra in Sundargarh district is a contact of a person detected positive earlier, two cases from Balasore included a two-year-old girl with travel history to Hyderabad and a 32-year-old RPF constable.
Of 74 positive cases, 53 are men and 21 are women. While nine each belong to the age group of above 60 years and 0-14 years, 23 are aged between 41 and 60 years and 33 are in the age group of 15 to 40 years.
While the coronavirus spread to 10 districts with highest 46 cases in Khurda, Bhadrak recorded eight cases, followed by Jajpur (7), Balasore (3), Sundargarh (3), Kendrapara (2), Kalahandi (2) and one each in Cuttack, Puri and Dhenkanal.
As many as 15 containment zones, including five in Bhadrak and three in COVID hotspot Bhubaneswar, have been notified. There are now 49 active cases undergoing treatment as 24 persons have recovered. The state has reported only one death so far.
Meanwhile, the Centre has praised the State for having doubling time of more than 30 days. Odisha and Kerala have reported doubling time as 39.8 days and 72.2 days respectively against the national average of 7.5 days.