Odisha reports 2,602 new Covid-19 cases

Bhubaneswar: At least 2,602 people, including a minister and an MLA, tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha on Monday, taking the tally in the coastal state to 1,03,536, a health department official said.

The death toll rose to 492, with 10 more people succumbing to the infection, he said.

The state also registered the highest single-day recovery of 4,053 COVID-19 patients taking the total number of people cured of the disease to 77,286.

The recovery rate improved to 74.64 per cent from 72.55 per cent on Sunday.

The fatality rate remained unchanged at 0.47 per cent despite 10 more deaths, the official said.

The fatalities were reported from six districts of the state - three each in Kandhamal and Khurda, one each in Ganjam, Nayagarh, Rayagada and Sundergarh.

"Regret to inform of the demise of ten Covid positive patients while under treatment in hospitals," the state Health and Family Welfare Department said on Twitter.

Of the 2,602 new cases, 1,561 were reported from various quarantine centres, and 1,041 were detected during contact tracing.

Odisha now has 25,705 active coronavirus



cases.

The state's Agriculture & Farmer Empowerment and Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo and BJD MLA Byomakesh Ray were among the new patients. Earlier Rural Development and Labour Minister Susant Singh had tested positive for the infection.

The number of lawmakers who have been infected with the virus has gone up to 14 - 12 MLAs and two MPs.

Khurda district, of which state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the maximum number of fresh cases at 616, followed by Cuttack at 236, Ganjam at 190, Kendrapara at 128, Koraput at 127, Balasore and Jajpur at 103 each. The rest were reported from 23 other districts.

As many as 17,89,433 tests have been conducted for COVID-19 in Odisha so far, including 57,877 clinical examinations on Sunday.

Odisha has added 70,057 new COVID-19 cases and 305 fatalities in August, the worst month for COVID management, the official said.

The state government on Monday ordered that offices in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack will function with half of their strength of employees in September.

Essential services were kept out of the purview of the order.