BHUBANESWAR:There is a marked shift in pattern of Covid-19 spread in the State. Along with Khurda and Ganjam, 10 more districts which have been recording more than 100 cases each almost daily, emerged as COVID hotspots.
Even as the number of new cases has come down in Ganjam, Khurda continued to be the nerve centre of coronavirus spread. The rapid surge in infection in Cuttack, Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Balasore, Puri, Nayagarh, Koraput and Malkangiri has kept the Health department on its toes.
Barring Nuapada and Deogarh, the rest 28 districts have been categorised as red zone. The COVID-19 cases witnessed an exponential growth in the last two weeks adding as many as 35,435 positive cases to the State tally.
Since August 11 when the number of new infections in Khurda surpassed that of worst hit Ganjam, the Capital district has recorded highest 5910 cases, followed by Cuttack (2890), Rayagada (1839), Mayurbhanj (1487) and Jajpur (1483).
The cases that were earlier concentrated in the migration prone districts and densely populated townships, have now spread from urban areas to interior pockets in many districts. While the State growth rate is 3.3 per cent (pc), the growth is between 3.5 to 5 per cent in the high burden districts with a case positivity rate of 10 pc in districts like Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Balasore.
Different districts are at different stages of outbreak. If the statistics of the Health and Family Welfare department are any indication, the infection is spreading to new areas in most of the districts. From three districts reporting 100 plus cases a day a month ago to 10 to 12 districts reporting more than 100 cases, the situation is getting worse every day.
Additional Chief Secretary PK Mohapatra said the detection of cases is linked to the rise in number of tests. "We have tested around 2.5 lakh samples in last four days. The accelerated testing will continue till the numbers are down," he said.
As many as 2752 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Odisha during last 24 hours taking the tally close to 85,000. While four districts registered more than 200 cases with Khurda contributing maximum 423 cases, eight other districts got more than 100 cases each.
Nine more patients, including two each from Ganjam and Sundargarh and one each from Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Balangir, Cuttack and Gajapati succumbed to the disease taking the toll to 481.The State, however, got a breather as a record 2546 patients recovered on Tuesday. The total recoveries went up to 59,470 leaving behind 24,280 active cases.