13 more NDRF/ODRAF/Fire Services personnel test COVID-19 positive in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Another 13 personnel belonging to NDRF/ODRAF/Fire Services were tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha, informed State Information & Public Relations (I&PR) Department today.

The 13 are among 186 fresh cases reported in last 24 hours in the State.

The personnel had recently returned from Cyclone AMPHAN duty in West Bengal. Following their return, they were put under quarantine as per the guidelines set by the State Health & Family Welfare Department.

Their swabs were collected from quarantine centres and the results came out positive for the deadly virus.

With this, total 149 NDRF/ODRAF/Fire Services personnel have been infected with novel coronavirus in Odisha.

On June 12, 21 COVID cases from NDRF/ODRAF/Fire Services were reported. On June 11, the I&PR Department had informed that 54 personnel of NDRF/ODRAF/Fire Services were found positive for COVID-19 during test conducted on June 10.

Earlier, 49 personnel belonging to the third NDRF battalion at Mundali in Cuttack and 12 personnel of Odisha Fire Services engaged on duty in Cyclone AMPHAN-ravaged West Bengal had tested positive for the deadly virus.

With increasing cases of COVID-19, Odisha’s tally now surged to 3909, of which 1301 are active cases and 2594 recovered cases so far. Today, one more COVID-19 patient succumbed while undergoing treatment at a COVID hospital in Ganjam district. As of now, the virus has claimed 11 lives in the State.