5 more test COVID-19 positive in Odisha; total cases rise to 79

Bhubaneswar, Apr 21 () Five more persons testedpositive for novel coronavirus in Odisha on Tuesday, taking the total number of such cases to 79 in the state, a health department official said.

All the fresh cases have been reported from Balasoredistrict neighbouring West Bengal, he said.

The state health and family welfare department has not provided details of the new patients.

"Contact-tracing of all the new cases are going on and follow-up action is also being taken," the official said.

Two COVID-19 cases including a two-year-old child were also reported from Balasore district on Monday.

The number of active cases in the state now stands at 53 while 25 persons have been cured of the disease.

A 72-year-old man from Bhubaneswar died of thecoronavirus infection.

Of the 79 cases reported in the state, 46 are fromKhurda district comprising Bhubaneswar, eight each fromBalasore and Bhadrak, seven from Jajpur, three fromSundergarh, two each from Kendrapara and Kalahandi and one each from Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Puri districts.

A total of 11,748 Reverse Transcription-PolymeraseChain Reaction (RT PCR), a test for coronavirus, and 4,861 rapid antibody tests have been conducted so far in the state, the official added. AAM BDC DVDV