Bhubaneswar Experiencing COVID-19 Plateau, Situation To Improve Further In Next 7 Days: BMC

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha capital is experiencing a plateau with 300 to 400 COVID-19 cases being reported daily despite an increase in tests (4000 to 4500)  in the last one week, Bhubaneswar Municipal Commissioner (BMC) Prem Chaudhary said.

Briefing the media on Friday, he said that Bhubaneswar now has a recovery rate of 74 per cent and the situation will improve further in the coming days.

“Testing on demand is available and peopled are getting themselves tested in private labs and government CHCs and PHCs,” he said.

The commissioner further said 73.5 per cent people are in home isolation. “We have 54 RRT teams with 18 in each ward to monitor them. Helpline no 1929 have been opened round-the-clock for the last 15 days. Active surveillance is being carried out in 20 non-slum areas by 210 teams,” he said.

On enforcement, he said that five zonal squads ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 guideline in market areas every evening and it is being done in coordination with the Commisionerate Police.

Chaudhary said hospital situation is comfortable. “On a rotation basis, asymptomatic patients are being shifted home. A total of 445 ICUs and 2500 general beds are available in private hospitals. Squads have been formed to monitor treatment of COVID-19 patients in these hospitals,”  he added.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 tally in the Odisha capital has touched 17925 with 305 more people testing positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.

According to BMC, 215 are local contact cases and the remaining 90 infected are among those in quarantine and linked to previous patients.

The fresh cases include 12 private hospitals staff and one bank employee.

The city also saw one death and 517 more patients getting cured of the infection since Thursday.

With 67 deaths and 13631 recoveries, Bhubaneswar now has 4212 active cases.