This story is from September 16, 2020

Odisha: Naveen Patnaik asks DGP to tighten Covid norms as state reports highest spike of 4,270 cases

Odisha: Naveen Patnaik asks DGP to tighten Covid norms as state reports highest spike of 4,270 cases
Amid the spike, CM Naveen Patnaik expressed his displeasure over poor enforcement of Covid norms in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the two cities that account for bulk of the new cases.
BHUBANESWAR: In the highest single-day spike so far in Odisha, 4270 more people tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, raising the total virus case load in state to 1,62,920.
Amid the spike, chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressed his displeasure over poor enforcement of Covid norms in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the two cities that account for bulk of the new cases.
“While I get good feedback about enforcement activities throughout the state, the feedback regarding Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate area is not encouraging.
I have been repeatedly harping on this,” Naveen was quoted as saying in a review meeting on the pandemic.
Though Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Commissionerate is headed by a police commissioner (Sudhansu Sarangi now), the CM asked DGP Abhay to personally intervene in the matter. “DG must directly look into this and do the needful as being done throughout the state,” Naveen said.
The health department has earlier blamed poor compliance of Covid norms such as not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing as major reasons behind the current spike in cases. The state has added 50,000 positive cases in past two weeks and one lakh cases in past one month emerging as the state with highest active positive cases in the east.
Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have been adding major share of the new Covid cases. In the past one week, while Bhubaneswar added around 3000 cases, Cuttack added more than 1500 new cases. On Wednesday, Khurda district (which includes Bhubaneswar) reported the highest 876 cases while Cuttack added 374.

Khurda accounts for the highest 28,147 positive cases among the 30 districts. These include 17,295 from Bhubaneswar. Cuttack district has reported 14,113 positive cases, including 8215 positive cases from Cuttack city.
From 10th among states/UTs in total number infections two days ago, Odisha jumped to eighth place overtaking Bihar (1,62,362) and Telangana (1,62,844). In active cases, the state comes sixth after Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Only Maharashtra (10.97 lakh), Andhra Pradesh (5.92 lakh), Tamil Nadu (5.14 lakh), Karnataka (4.75 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (3.30 lakh), Delhi (2.25 lakh) and West Bengal (2.09 lakh) have reported more positive cases than Odisha.
On Wednesday, 12 of the 30 districts reported more than 100 new positive cases each, the others being Puri (287), Jagatsinphur (188), Bargarh (183), Jajpur (162), Balasore (150), Angul (147), Mayurbhanj (131), Jharsuguda (121), Nuapada (119) and Sambalpur (114). Eleven more died raising the virus death toll to 656. The new deaths include three each from Puri and Sambalpur, two from Khurda and one each from Kalahandi, Sudargarh, Mayurbhanj.
In a positive development, Odisha touched the highest single day recovery of 4121 Covid patients, raising the state’s tally of cured patients to 1,29,859.
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About the Author
Ashok Pradhan

Ashok Pradhan is currently chief of bureau The Times of India in Bhubaneswar. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal (1999-2000).

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