Positivity rate on a decline in Ganjam, health experts hopeful of good tidings soon

Berhampur: The Ganjam district on Monday saw 243 new Covid cases, bringing the total number of cases there to 15,010. One more person died, taking the death toll of the disease to 155.
The positivity rate in the district has declined from 14.89 per cent on August 1 to 3.5 per cent on August 12, going up slightly to 3.6 per cent on August 16, sources said. The recovery rate, which stood at 79.12 per cent on August 8, has increased to 83.82 per cent on August 15.
The decline in the positivity rate has taken place at a time the testing rate has gone up.The daily samples tested by the district has stayed between 6,000 and 8,000 over the past few days.
“Strict enforcement of social distancing, mandatory wearing of masks and cooperation of the people are some of the reasons behind the decline in the positivity rate in the district,” said collector Vijay Amruta Kulange. “Creating awareness and increasing levels of precaution among the people have helped us bring down the positivity rate of Covid-19. Now we are focusing on increasing tests by conducting camps in different places. We appeal to the people to come forward for the Covid test,” said the collector.
Health experts believe the district has turned the corner. “If this trend continues, I hope the district will be free of Covid-19 very soon,” said a private practitioner. “The declining positivity rate is a good sign but the district administration needs to test more and more people to make the district Covid-free,” added Radha Madhab Tripathy, former principal of MKCG Medical College.
Tripathy said there were still many hidden cases in the district. “Many of these patients will not go for voluntary testing because of the stigma attached to Covid. We need to counsel people to remove the fear associated with the disease,” he added.