Odisha to start door-to-door survey for Covid-19 symptoms as cases cross 4000-mark

The steep rise came even as the state imposed a weekend shutdown in 11 of its districts that account for around 80 per cent of the total cases

On a day when the number of Covid-19 cases in Odisha crossed the 4000-mark indicating a steep rise in coronavirus cases over the last fortnight, the Odisha government said it would do door-to-door surveillance to identify people with classic symptoms of the disease and test them.

Chennai: Migrants stand in a queue at Central Railway Station to board a Shramik Special train for West Bengal, during ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, in Chennai, Wednesday, June 3, 2020. (PTI Photo/R Senthil Kumar) (PTI03-06-2020_000243B) (PTI PHOTO)

On Monday, Odisha reported 146 new Covid-19 cases taking the total number of cases to 4,055, a steep rise from 2,104 cases reported on June 1. Kandhamal district, which had reported 89 coronavirus cases till Sunday, added 48 new cases taking the total to 136. The steep rise came even as the state imposed a weekend shutdown in 11 of its districts that account for around 80 per cent of the total cases. It even imposed stricter lockdown norms in the Covid-19 epicentre of Ganjam district, where all business activity or vehicular movement was stopped after 12 o’clock during the day.

Health department officials said with June and July likely to be crucial for tackling the coronavirus pandemic, accredited social health activists and auxiliary nursing midwife workers in Odisha will conduct a door-to-door survey from June 16.

She said that only symptomatic people and close contacts of positive cases will be tested in accordance with ICMR guidelines. “Earlier when asymptomatic people were being tested, one among 200 of them was found to be infected. Now, one in every 20 symptomatic cases is testing positive for the virus,” she said.

Pandit, however, said despite rising Covid-19 cases, positivity rate per lakh population in Odisha is 9.3 per cent compared to 88 per cent in Maharashtra and 205 per cent in Delhi. Odisha has also posted 2,708 recoveries, around 67 per cent of the total cases that is comparable to states like Rajasthan and union territories like Andaman and Nicobar islands.

“We have so far conducted 2 lakh tests. Tests per million in the state is higher than the India average. The death rate of 0.3 per cent in Odisha has also remained low compared to 6.6. per cent in Delhi and India’s average of 0.7 per cent,” she said.

“There has been a rise in positive cases across India after easing of lockdown restrictions. Doctors say cases will continue to rise in the next four to six weeks. Now, the onus is on the people to abide by the Covid-19 guidelines to keep the virus at bay,” she said.