BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is expected to see the peak soon as new Covid-19 cases breached the 10,000-mark in less than a fortnight of the third wave. The state recorded 10,059 infections in the last 24 hours pushing the test positivity rate (TPR) to 12.4 per cent (pc). While 20 districts reported more than 100 cases each, Khurda and Sundargarh led the caseload with 3,188 and 1,348 cases, respectively.
For the first time in the pandemic, Khurda crossed the 3,000-mark, a majority of the infections coming from the state capital. The city registered 1,055 new infections with a TPR of around 10 pc. Among other districts, Cuttack recorded 870 cases, followed by 570 from Sambalpur, 423 from Mayurbhanj, 278 from Balasore, 272 from Puri, 219 from Jharsuguda, 216 from Balangir and 212 from Jajpur.
The TPR soared to 27.6 pc in Sundargarh, 25.5 pc in Khurda, 18.6 pc in Sambalpur, 15.2 pc in Mayurbhanj, 13.8 pc in Puri, 10.5 pc in Balangir and 10 pc in Cuttack. Three more patients succumbed to the disease taking the toll to 8,472.
With the rising trend, health experts predicted that the cases will peak in the state by January-end with around 30,000 daily infections. Internal medicine specialist Dr. Niroj Mishra said that since Omicron variant is four times more transmissible than Delta, the infections will rise rapidly in the coming days and the peak would be between January 25 and 31. However, the state may not see more deaths during the peak, he said and advised people to use three-ply face masks.
Meanwhile, the state government on Thursday issued guidelines to decongest hospitals. The districts have been directed to start telemedicine services to reduce patients visiting OPDs with minor ailments and avoid non-essential admission of patients.
While the telemedicine services in SCB Medical College, Acharya Harihar Post-Graduate Institute of Cancer and SVPPGIP at Cuttack, MKCG MCH at Berhampur, VIMSAR at Burla will be available round the clock, the services will be available from 8 am to 5 pm at MCHs in Balasore, Baripada, Balangir and Koraput, Capital Hospital and RGH Rourkela.
All elective surgeries have been stopped and hospitals may take up emergency surgeries with universal precautions.