Odisha records 13,000 cases in three days; some districts declare partial shutdown

Since September 1, Odisha has added 97,290 cases — 47 per cent of the total caseload.

“The cases have increased because of the rise in testing, which means there is timely detection. But it is not a cause of concern because recoveries have gone up as well. This is a natural course of the infection and eventually, the cases will decline,” said Health Minister Naba Kishore Das.

While Ganjam district — once a hotspot — has shown a declining trend in the number of cases, districts such as Khurda, Cuttack and Puri have now become a major areas of concern. Apart from these, the infection is also spreading fast in 15 other districts.

Meanwhile, to contain the spread, a few district authorities have ordered partial shutdowns. Balliguda town authorities in Kandhamal district have ordered the closure of all shops selling non-essentials until October 2. Similarly, in Jharsuguda, roadside fast-food shops have been asked to shut down for 15 days. The vendors will however be paid Rs 2,500 as compensation for their losses. Nayagarh authorities have ordered a complete shutdown on weekends.

In Balangir district, residents have opted for a voluntary shutdown for seven days. “We decided to go for a shutdown ourselves as the cases are on a rise,” said Tripurai Panigrahi, from the Covid Control Committee of the district.