BHUBANESWAR: The new Covid-19 cases and test positivity rate (TPR) dropped in Odisha after remaining over 1,000 and 5 pc respectively for the last two days. The daily case count fell by 20 per cent (pc) after nearly a month. The State reported 872 infections from 28 districts in the last 24 hours. No new cases were recorded in Nabarangpur and Malkangiri. Despite the drop, the active cases breached the 5,000 mark due to fewer recoveries.
Of the fresh cases, 123 cases were from the age group of 0-18 years and 360 were local contacts. Though infections in Khurda, Cuttack and Puri came down marginally, cases went up by 30 pc in Sundargarh.
Khurda topped the daily infection tally with 282 new cases, followed by Sundargarh (144), Cuttack (96), Mayurbhanj (59), and Sonepur (26), Sambalpur (23) and Puri (19). The infection is also rising in Sonepur, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Boudh and Jharsuguda.
The TPR dropped to 4.49 pc as the testing increased to 19,409. However, the positivity rate in two districts continued to remain above 10 pc and it was over five pc in five districts. The TPR was 12.62 pc in Sonepur, 11.52 pc in Khurda, 8.63 pc in Sundargarh, 6.79 pc in Boudh, 6.55 pc in Cuttack, 6.51 pc in Mayurbhanj and 5.96 in Bargarh.
As per the Ministry of Health statistics on weekly positivity rate, Khurda and Balasore were among 110 districts in the country which recorded a TPR of more than 10 pc during the July 8 to 15 period. The weekly TPR was 15.84 pc in Khurda and 12.93 pc in Balasore. Director of Health Services Dr Bijay Mohapatra said the number of infections may fluctuate for a few more days and the one-day drop in cases can not be considered an indicator of a declining trend.
“People, who had congregated during the Rath Yatra celebrations across the State, have returned to their native places. We have to closely monitor the situation for the next at least 15 days. Hopefully, the Covid graph will plateau in the first week of August and the trend will decline by mid-August,” he added.
The active cases stood at 5,096 and around one pc of them were in hospital isolation. Meanwhile, the Health department has asked all districts and municipal corporations to follow the testing and containment guidelines issued by the Centre. Collectors and CDMOs have been directed to scale up testing up to 25,000 and mobilise beneficiaries due for second and precautionary doses.