BHUBANESWAR: With Covid cases surging in Delhi and other parts of the country, the Odisha government has asked district administrations to remain ‘alert’ and urged people to ‘exercise caution’. State Public Health director Dr Niranjan Mishra on Monday, though, said there is no need to panic as the number of cases in the State is negligible and the daily test positivity rate (TPR) has remained low so far.
“New infections are being reported only from seven to eight districts, that too in single digit. No new variant has been detected in the State and the situation is under control. However, district administrations have been asked to keep a watch and take containment measures as per the need,” Mishra said.
The public health director, however, advised people to exercise caution wherever it is required to check the spread. He also said that the tests are being carried out as advised by the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Health officials said even if there is any rise in the infection count, it would be less severe than during the third wave due to large-scale vaccination. The State recorded 13 new cases in the last 24 hours, with no fatalities being reported for the third consecutive day. The new cases were reported from Sambalpur, Balasore, Balangir, Kendrapara, Khurda, Puri and Sonepur.
A total of 18,886 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours in which the daily TPR remained 0.06 per cent, health officials said. The State now has 107 active cases with as many as 13 districts having zero Covid cases, the officials added.