Bhubaneswar: The COVID-19 testing in Odisha has been extended from March-end to April 30 in view of a surge in positive cases in Maharashtra and Kerala.
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) PK Mohapatra on Friday informed that six senior doctors, including a special secretary, have been assigned the task to supervise COVID-19 testing in 30 districts of the state.
Odisha has so far tested over 85.80 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 21,907 on Thursday.
Besides, screening at airport and railway stations have been intensified.
The decision came on the day when Odisha reported 64 new cases and one death.
“Regret to inform the demise of 72-year-old female COVID positive patient of Bhubaneswar who was also suffering from Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension & Bronchial Asthma,” the Health and Family Welfare Department tweeted.
The fatality was reported almost after a gap of 17 days. A 74-year-old man from Bhubaneswar, who was also suffering from Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension and Chronic Kidney Disease on Maintenance Hemodialysis, had succumbed to the infection on February 19.
Odisha with 1918 COVID-19 deaths has a fatality rate of 0.56 per cent.
Khurda with 339 leads the death tally followed by Ganjam (248), Sundergarh (173), Cuttack (142) and Puri (118).
The positivity rate now stands at 3.94.
The state now has 586 active cases, which is 0.17 per cent of the caseload.
