COVID-19: Odisha CM Calls For Location Specific Strategy In 4 Districts

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday called upon the officials to prepare a location specific strategy in Khurda, Cuttack, Sundargarh and Rayagada districts in order to bring down positivity rate of COVID-19.

Speaking at a high-level meeting through video-conference, the chief minister thanked the district collectors and health officials for achieving daily 50,000 tests and 1096 tests per 10 lakh population.

Since the number of asymptomatic cases are rising in the state, he stressed on encouraging the home quarantine with the help of elected representatives of panchayats and COVID Care Committees. Steps should be taken to dispel any doubts regarding home quarantine, he added.

Stating that death rate due to COVID-19 has come down, he said efforts should be made to bring it down further and increase the number of COVID Care Centres opened by corporate houses.

On plasma donation, Naveen said plasma collection and application should be improvised. Since plasma therapy has proved to be a successful method for treatment of COVID-19, he directed to open another plasma bank in Koraput medical college.

Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said a multi-disciplinary technical team comprising professors of seven medical colleges has been formed by Medical Education and Training directorate on the steps to be taken to bring down COVID-19 death rate.

Additional chief secretary, Health department PK Mohapatra presented a detailed report on COVID management in the state. A plasma storage unit has been established in Balasore for the patients of Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Bhadrak districts, he said. Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena also spoke.

The chief minister also held discussion on rain-related situation, farminga ctivities, livelihood schemes and MSME.