COVID-19: 26,163 cases, 192 deaths in Odisha in July, new clusters add to woes

As 20,518 patients have recovered so far, the recovery rate in the state stands at 61.28 percent
People waiting outside of a Covid-19 testing center at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. (Photo | Biswanath Swain/EPS)
People waiting outside of a Covid-19 testing center at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar. (Photo | Biswanath Swain/EPS)

BHUBANESWAR: With 1603 new COVID-19 cases, a new high, from 29 districts in the last 24 hours, Odisha's tally reached 33,479. With an average of 844 cases and six deaths a day, the state reported 26,163 cases and 192 COVID related deaths in July.

Of the fresh cases, 993 were in quarantine and 609 local contacts. Over 50 per cent infections were detected from four districts with worst hit Ganjam contributing 308 cases, followed by Khurda (285), Rayagada (164) and Gajapati (108). As 14,135 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, the positivity rate stands at 11.33 percent.

While the caseload in Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, which were COVID hotspots at the beginning of the outbreak in the state, has come down considerably, emergence of new clusters in Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Kandhamal, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts has added to the woes.

According to health department statistics, Gajapati, Koraput and Rayagada have recorded over 90 percent of their cases in July. Gajapati is now the fourth worst affected district in Odisha after Ganjam, Khurda and Cuttack.

Total infections touched 1000 in Balasore following the detection of 29 new cases from the coastal district. With this, the number of districts with more than 1000 confirmed cases rose to seven.

Other districts with high cases are Ganjam (10,672), Khurda (4485), Cuttack (2125), Gajapati (1510), Sundargarh (1435) and Jajpur (1288).

Eleven more COVID-19 patients died in Odisha taking the death toll to 225. While 10 persons, including five from Ganjam, three from Khurda, one each from Gajapati and Sundargarh, succumbed to the disease, a 30-year-old man of Nayagarh died of chronic kidney disease and septic shock.

The health department, however, attributed the death of 38 patients to other underlying diseases. As 20,518 patients have recovered so far, the recovery rate in the state stands at 61.28 percent.

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