Bhubaneswar: With COVID-19 cases slowly rising in Odisha, the state government on Saturday advised people showing symptoms of fever, cold, and cough to refrain from venturing out for zero-night celebration.
Stating that people should avoid visiting crowded places and wear a mask, Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said people should celebrate New Year at their home.
Especially those showing symptoms of cold, cough and fever should avoid visiting crowded places for new year celebrations, he said, adding that these people should confine themselves to their homes and celebrate zero-night indoors.
The Covid cases are expected to witness a spike and the central government has also advised states to stay prepared. Mishra said the state government has written to hospitals to remain prepared and make necessary arrangements in the hospitals.
The authorities at the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar said that they are prepared to deal with any situation and have already set up a fever clinic, besides asking people to wear masks.
While one new COVID-19 positive case was reported in the past 24 hours in the state, another person has recovered from the infection. So far, 14 COVID cases have been reported in December and the active tally stands at 13 in the state at present.