COVID-19 Upsurge: Centre’s Lockdown Move Might Force Odisha To Do A Rethink

Bhubaneswar: Will Odisha, which so far avoided a ‘lockdown’, decide for the stringent measure amid the continuous surge in COVID-19 cases?

The Centre’s proposal for a lockdown in around 150 districts with a COVID positivity rate of more than 15 per cent to lessen the burden on the health system in these areas has triggered another round of debate on it.

Odisha saw a growth of 38 per cent in COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as 8386 more people in the state tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours. The spike propelled the test positivity rate (TPR) to 19.77 per cent with the new infections being detected from 42401 samples sent for tests.

Odisha has been witnessing a steady rise in the TRP, which was 16.64 per cent on Monday (April 26) when 6599 of 39642 samples were found infected. The TRP had dropped to 13.97 per cent on Sunday (April 25) after rising by 16.20 per cent on Saturday (April 24). While 6647 new cases were reported on Saturday following 41017 tests, 6116 of 43765 samples tested positive on the following day.

“Our analysis suggests stringent lockdown measures in districts with very high positivity rates are essential to break the chain of transmission over the next few weeks. We have recommended this but a decision will be taken at the highest level of the government in consultation with states and UTs,” a senior official was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

The Odisha government has thus far clamped night curfews and weekend shutdowns in selected locations, mostly urban, to deal with the alarming situation arising out of the resurgence of the COVID pandemic.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a video address on Sunday evening, clearly stated that he does not favour lockdowns.

However, the Odisha government’s projection of the COVID-19 tally during the second wave touching 2.02 lakh with daily cases rising to 13,000 and active cases to 1.02 lakh by May 15 has raised grave concern.

The eastern state currently has 55245 active cases and 17 districts are already in the red zone with over 1000 active cases.

The districts wil heavy caseload are Khurda (8,383), Sundargarh (6,330), Kalahandi (3,257), Cuttack (3,345), Nuapada (2,732), Jharsuguda (2,664), Bargarh (2,513), Sambalpur (2,232), Puri, (2,213), Balangir (2,315), Nabarangpur (2,170), Jajpur (1,498), Angul (1,019), Mayurbhanj (1,312), Ganjam (1,232), Keonjhar (1,029) and Balasore (1,026).

According to Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Pradipta Mohapatra, an estimated 5,812, including 2,040 in ICU, patients will be in hospitals by mid-May. “Though the overall occupancy in hospitals is 33 per cent and that of ICU 48 per cent, there is pressure in  Sambalpur, Sundargarh and other western Odisha districts with high positivity rate,” he told TOI.