Odisha records 65 fresh cases of COVID-19; total tally now 737

(Eds: Adds new inputs, recoveries)

Bhubaneswar, May 16 () Odisha recorded 65 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of cases in the state to 737, officials said on Saturday.

A total of 30 patients also recovered from the deadly virus, taking the number of people who have been cured of the disease in the state to 196, a health department official said.

Of the fresh cases, Jajpur reported 31, Ganjam 13 and Cuttack six. While Kendrapara and Puri reported four cases each, three cases were detected in Khurda and two each in Mayurbhanj and Nayagarh.

Of the new cases, 62 were detected among those in different quarantine centres, he said.

Three people who were in home quarantine also tested positive.

Sources in the health and family welfare department said a total of 86,140 samples have been tested so far, of which 4,221 were tested on Friday.

Of the 30 districts in Odisha, 21 have so far reported COVID-19 cases.

At present, the state has 538 active cases and 196 people have recovered, while three patients have died.

Ganjam in south Odisha has reported the highest number of cases at 277, followed by Jajpur at 121, Balasore (102), Khurda (56), Bhadrak (46), Sundergarh and Kendrapara (26 each), Puri (18) and Angul (15), they said.

Eleven cases have been reported from Mayurbhanj, Cuttack (10), Nayagarh (six), Jagatsinghpur (five), and four each in Keonjhar and Boudh districts.

Two cases each have been detected in Bolangir, Deogarh, Kalahandi and Jharsuguda districts, and one each in Koraput and Dhenkanal districts, the officials added.

As the number of COVID-19 cases has been rising in Gajnam with the arrival of migrants from different states, steps have been taken to increase the bed capacity in the designated COVID care hospitals in the district, an official said.

Similarly, COVID-19 tests will be conducted in government-run medical facilities in Koraput and Bolangir from May 23 and in Baripada and Balasore from May 31 to substantially increase the testing capacity in the state.

A total of 34 dedicated COVID hospitals are already operational in the state, while only eight of these facilities now have patients. Though there are 200 ventilators, they are yet to be used for any patient so far.

The state has also requisitioned for 424 more ventilators, the official added. AAM SKNSNS KJKJKJ