BERHAMPUR: Ganjam reported its highest single-day COVID-19 death toll on Friday after seven patients succumbed to the virus. The victims, four males and three females, are in the age group of 23-64 years. The 23-year-old female patient died due to eclampsia during pregnancy. Some of the victims also suffered from diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease.
On the day, 484 new COVID-19 cases were detected in Ganjam, taking the tally to 8,678 in the district. Of the fresh positive cases, 42 are frontline workers, three have travel history and the rest 439 are active contacts.
So far, 1,150 frontline workers of the district have tested positive and 690 of them have recovered. While 13 COVID Warriors have succumbed to the virus, the rest 447 are undergoing treatment. Of the total 8,678 positive cases, 5,836 have already recovered.
Meanwhile, the number of plasma donors has gone up in the district following the appeal by Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange. As many as 205 COVID survivors have agreed to donate their plasma. Of them, 155 hail from rural areas and 50 are from urban pockets of the district. Interested donors have registered their details with the COVID cell. Besides, 293 COVID survivors have registered their names for counselling patients undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the district.
On the other hand, the administration has started door-to-door screening in rural areas of the district. In the last two days, health teams, each comprising a doctor, have covered 114 villages under red zone and screened 1,59,511 persons.
As many as 326 symptomatic and 1,730 persons with comorbidities have been detected during the survey. While the symptomatic persons are being tested, COVID monitors are checking on those with comorbidities on a daily basis.
The administration has already completed door-to-door screening exercise in all the urban areas of Ganjam.Sources said the situation in Berhampur city is gradually improving. So far, the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) has collected 4,282 swab samples of which 1,566 tested positive and were admitted to various COVID hospitals.Of them, 1,035 have recovered and 531 are active. The city has recorded 16 COVID-19 deaths.
Cop suspended for misbehaviour
Sepoy Dibakar Parida of the 8th Battalion, Chhatrapur was placed under suspension for misbehaving with sarpanch of Athagada Patana gram panchayat in Kabisuryanagar. Parida was deputed to Kabisuryanagar police station for COVID-19 duty.
Two days back, the sarpanch was hurriedly walking to the local temporary medical centre without wearing a mask when a police team detained him. The team, which included Parida, also allegedly misbehaved with him. Basing on a complaint filed by the victim, Ganjam SP Brijesh Roy suspended the sepoy and also ordered SI Arjun Kanhar of Kabisuryanagar to join at the headquarters.