‘75% of active Covid cases in Odisha Capital are in home isolation’

Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary today informed 30% beds at Covid hospitals in Bhubaneswar have been occupied at present. He added more than 100 ICUs are vacant at the hospitals. Also, patients from neighbouring districts and across the state are being treated in Bhubaneswar.

Chaudhary said home Isolation is around 75% of total active cases in the city. Presently on daily basis more than 1,500 to 1,600 people are in Home Isolation. More than 1,000 Covid care centre beds have been surrendered.

He thanked all the line departments and organisations, service providing agencies and citizens for showing adherence to COVID norms and help flatten the curve of COVID-19 in the city. In last five days number of COVID positive is about 100 or less than that. Active cases by today are 1,885.

Replying to a query on administration of Favipiravir, the Commissioner told as of now 1,443 persons have consumed it and about 30 to 40 people are being administered this drug of choice.

Sero surveillance report is expected to come out tomorrow or a day after, though community category has been analysed, the team is analysing the special group status and the moment it will be available BMC will share with media.

Testing for COVID on demand is always available in Bhubaneswar. The government is encouraging for the test and 23 UPHC (Urban Primary Health Centre) and UCHC (urban Community Health Centre) and special camps are providing testing facilities along with mobile van. Even any organisation or RWA like institutions are encouraged to conduct testing in their premises.

In order to have administrative control to help support adopting preventive behavioural practice enforcement will continue and BMC has five enforcement teams serving in three zones. Regularly the teams are covering different parts of the city and doing necessary enforcement.

Till now there is no long term solution like availability of vaccine and all there must be guided behaviour like social distancing, wearing of mask and hand washing etc. in upcoming Diwali and Laxmi puja and Kali puja occasions also; all should be careful so that spread of disease will be lesser and declining trend will be maintained, the Commissioner said.