Bhubaneswar: Health Minister Naba Kishore Das today reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the state in which department officials, and experts in different fields including RMRC Director, Professors from the Institute of Life Sciences, and AIIMS Bhubaneswar, former DMET, SCB MCH, VIMSAR, and epidemiologist, community health specialists.
In a statement, Commissioner Cum Secretary of Health & Family Welfare, Smt Shalini Pandit said, “Observations in the last three months show that the COVID-19 infection cases are gradually decreasing. If we see at present, around 100 to 200 cases are reported daily across the country and in Odisha, the cases are limited to only 5 to 7 on a daily basis.”
She said that the situation has remained constant for the last three months as the case rate is low and the testing being carried out in Odisha, is always higher than the national average. We have RTPCR labs in every district. The positivity rate in every 100 samples, only 0.04 per cent was found positive.
The Health Secretary further said that keeping the situation in mind, the Odisha Government has completely lifted COVID-19 restrictions in the state. There are no fines for not wearing masks or not following COVID Appropriate Behaviour, she said.
She also advised the people to wear masks and adhere to COVID-appropriate behaviour while visiting too-crowded places as a precautionary measure and for their own safety.
The Minister reviewed all facilities like anti-covid drugs, testing kits, oxygen supply, and ICU beds and it was learnt that the in each district, all medical colleges and headquarters hospitals there is sufficient availability of these facilities. She said that all kinds of drugs, kits, and oxygen supplies are adequate in stock.
She further clarified that the situation China is facing is different in comparison to India as 90 % of people in have received two doses of vaccines which is an advantage to keeping COVID at bay. The BF.7 variant is already in our country as well as in the state for a couple of months but the caseload has remained low and those found positive with BF.7 variant are asymptomatic and with mild symptoms.
Right now the genome testing of positive samples is underway, and only sub-variants of the main Omicron variant detected in Odisha have been found with no disease severity. We are alert and ready to tackle any situation and therefore people need not worry, the health secretary stated.
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