Fresh dip in Covid-19 cases in Odisha springs plateau hope

Bhubaneswar: With 8,845 new cases on Saturday, the state saw a dip in the daily infection count for the third consecutive day. The test positivity rate, too, dropped to 12.88%.
Experts said if the trend of the past three days is any indication, the state has already hit the peak and plateau of infections in the present wave. On Wednesday, the state reported 11,607 fresh infections, the highest in a single day so far.Over the next three days, it saw 10,368, 9,833 and 8,845 cases, respectively, registering a dip of around 1,000 infections each day.
“It is a good sign that the daily virus load is gradually reducing. There are reports of people skipping tests despite developing symptoms. The government has set up testing facilities everywhere to screen people. Moreover, people should also watch out for complications, if any, even after recovering from Covid,” Ajay Parida, director, Institute of Life Sciences, said.
Significantly, the once hotbed of infections, Ganjam, reported cases in double digits, along with the western districts of Boudh and Deogarh. Kendrapada and Malkangiri also saw double-digit cases. Khurda and Sundargarh continue to be the worst-hit in terms of the daily infection load.
While the state’s total Covid count is set to cross the 12-lakh mark on Sunday, the recoveries will go past 11 lakh. With six more Covid fatalities being confirmed by the government, the death toll has touched 8,514.
Niranjan Mishra, director of public health said, “We have reasons to predict a further decline, but we are treading cautiously.”