Blueprint ready to tackle eventuality if COVID situation worsens: Odisha top official

Bhubaneswar: If the number of COVID-19 cases further increases in Odisha in coming days, the state Government has blueprint ready to handle the situation, said Director Of Health Services Bijay Kumar Mohapatra today.

Speaking to mediapersons, the state COVID In-charge said , “The Government is ready to tackle the eventuality. Meetings are being held everyday to take stock of situation. Steps are afoot to break the transmission chain.”

“People are getting infected with the virus in other states and returning to Odisha spreading it further here. I request people not to go outside unless necessary. The time has come that we take the responsibility and act accordingly. Night Curfew will be enforced in urban areas of all districts in the state from today. Let’s follow and break the transmission chain,” he added.

Regarding vaccination, the Health and Family Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi said  the drive has been halted in urban areas of 10 districts, where weekend shutdown has been imposed starting today. However, the vaccination will continue uninterruptedly in other areas of the districts.

On vaccine shortage, Panigrahi said of the total 1500 centers in the state, vaccination has been halted at 1073 centers. The immunization drive has completely been halted in Jharsuguda, Nuapada and Koraput districts.

He further informed, “Odisha currently has a stock of 3.6 lakh doses of Covishield and 2.3 lakh doses of Covaxin that will hardly last for three days. We are repeatedly appealing the Centre for adequate supply of vaccines to meet the demand.”