BHUBANESWAR: Even as new Covid cases dropped below 300 for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, Odisha continues to be among top-three states that have been pushing the nation’s active case tally. With 10,122 active cases Kerala topped the list, followed by 4,230 in Odisha and 3,932 in Maharashtra. Haryana and Delhi have over 3,000 active cases each.
The state reported 291 new cases, down by around 26 per cent in last 24 hours. On Monday, 393 cases were recorded. The number of infections has started declining since April 28 when the highest 573 cases were detected. The cases dropped to 516 on April 29 and then to 388 on April 30.
Of the fresh cases spread across 24 districts, five districts accounted for 65 per cent of the caseload. Most of the active cases were from Sundargarh, Cuttack, Nabarangpur, Sambalpur and Nuapada. The test positivity rate also dropped to 5.14 per cent from 5.57 per cent a couple of days ago. The weekly positivity rate also came down in districts like Boudh, Subarnapur and Sambalpur that had surged past 20 per cent.
The state, though, has recorded two deaths in last two days taking the death toll to eight this year. A 54-year-old man from Bargarh district who was also suffering from diabetes mellitus and hypertension succumbed to the disease. The Health and Family Welfare department had announced the death of an 86-year-old man from Puri district on Sunday. He was also suffering from diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cerebrovascular accident .
Odisha has, so far, registered 8,743 cases and eight deaths in the current wave that started on March 17 with 11 cases. While 42 patients have been hospitalised, the rest are undergoing treatment in home isolation. After the recovery of 127 patients, the active cases stood at 4,230.
Health authorities said the cases may not increase further but will continue to remain between 200 to 300 for a few days before dropping by mid-May. “The infection rate is declining across the country. But we have to remain alert for some more days,” director of Health Services Dr Bijay Mohapatra said.