ROURKELA: Amid the alarming surge in positive cases, Rourkela on Wednesday reported its first Covid-related death in the third wave after a 74-year-old patient died at Ispat General Hospital (IGH). The deceased was a former employee of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). He had not been vaccinated and was suffering from co-morbidities. His body was cremated at Vedvyas crematorium in strict adherence to Covid protocols.
However, there was no confirmation about the death from Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) Commissioner Subhankar Mohapatra or chief district medical and public health officer of Sundargarh Dr. SK Mishra.
On the day, Sundargarh reported another whopping spike of 1,252 new cases incuding 536 from Rourkela. The test positivity rate in the district stood at 28.13 per cent. Sundargarh currently has 5,226 active cases.
Meanwhile, RMC Commissioner Mohapatra visited the National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) which till Tuesday evening reported 215 positive cases including 125 students and the rest employees and their family members.
He also visited Rourkela railway station. Mohapatra said effective measures are being taken to contain further spread of Covid on NIT-R campus. From Thursday, testing would be conducted at Rourkela railway station. Those violating the mask and social distancing mandates are being fined. Two shops were sealed at Basanti Colony for violating Covid norms. The Civil Court complex was closed for three days after detection of several Covid cases.
177 new cases in Kalahandi
BHAWANIPATNA: Covid cases almost doubled in Kalahandi with the district reporting 177 new infections on Wednesday. A day back, 99 cases were detected in Kalahandi. So far, the district has reported 24,881 Covid cases. Currently, 507 cases are active. In view of the steep case surge, the administration has intensified enforcement activities across the district to contain the virus spread.