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Odisha records first coronavirus death after 72-year-old Jharpada man tests positive
The man, who had a history of chronic hypertension, was admitted to All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar on April 4 after he complained about respiratory distress.
A 72-year-old man from Odisha’s Jharpada, who died in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, on Monday, became the state’s first coronavirus disease victim after his swab samples tested positive on Tuesday.
The man, who had a history of chronic hypertension, was admitted to All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar on April 4 after he complained about respiratory distress.
He tested positive for Covid-19 later.
Health officials said contact tracing and containment has been started.
Authorities in Odisha have ramped up Covid-19 screenings and declared several areas as containment zones after nearly 70 people came back to the state from the Tablighi Jamaat’s events in Delhi’s Nizamuddin, which has emerged as a hotspot for the coronavirus disease.
Officials in Odisha have said 68 people, including African nationals, had gone to the Tablighi Jamaat’s Delhi headquarters from the state and 28 came back.
Out of the 28 three, including a postman who had attended the religious congregation and returned home, have tested positive for the virus.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has also asked officials to ramp the testing process by setting up Covid-19 testing centres at MKCG Hospital, Berhampur and VIMSAR Hospitals, Burla.
Odisha would increase its sample testing capacity from 300 samples per day at present to 1000 samples in the next five days.
There are nearly 30 Covid-19 patients in the eastern state.
