Bhubaneswar: The active COVID tally in Odisha inched towards 100 with 24 new cases being detected across the state in 24 hours till Sunday, the highest in 135 days.
The test positivity rate was recorded at 0.3 per cent with state having increased the daily tests to 5,000, the Health Department informed.
“There is no need to panic as disease severity is less and most patients are recovering within 7-10 days,” said Health Services director Bijay Mohapatra, adding that only one of 98 patients needed hospitalisation.
Surveillance, tracking and testing were going on while ICU beds and isolation facilities are available in all government hospitals, he added.
A single day spike of 17 cases were reported on March 23, barely a week after the state saw cases in double digits on March 16 and 17 for the first time after a gap of around four months.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has issued an advisory for mock drill in all private hospitals on April 10 and 11 to ensure preparedness in the wake of COVID surge.
