Bhubaneswar: With the Covid cases starting rising in Odisha, the State Government on Thursday asked all collectors and municipal commissioners to intensify vaccination of 18-59 age group on campaign mode from Friday.
Chief Secretary SC Mahapatra has given this instruction to the officers while holding a high-level review meeting on Covid-19 situation in the state through virtual mode this evening.
Taking a district wise review, Mr.Mahapatra directed to increase the number of daily Covid testing, ensure function of the call center on a 24×7 basis and intensify the awareness and enforcement activities like wearing of masks, avoiding the crowd, and maintenance of physical distance of 6 feet.
He also instructed the officials to conduct vaccination of students of the above age group in various engineering colleges, hostels, higher educational institutes as well as in urban areas in a massive way.
Further, he asked the collector and municipal commissioners to spread information about location of vaccination center, call center and help center number, and facilities for treatment.
Medical colleges and district administrations were asked to set up separate Covid wards. They were also directed to be in all readiness for enhancing the number of beds as per requirement.
Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare, Nikunja Bihari Dhal emphasized for proper execution of village and panchayat-wise vaccination programmes in rural areas and every ward in urban areas.
Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena suggested that health workers, Anganwadi workers, public representatives, voluntary organizations and women’s self-help groups be included in the vaccination drive.
Odisha on Thursday reported 804 new Covid-19 cases, the highest in nearly five months. On February 17, the state reported 886 cases.
The positivity rate jumped to 4.18 per cent as the cases were detected after testing 19,218 samples. Seventy-one children were among the new patients.
Khurda, where the capital Bhubaneswar is located, reported the highest number of 307 cases, followed by 119 cases in Cuttack. The toll remained at 9,127 as there were no new deaths.
The active cases climbed to 4,262, out of which 1,694 patients are in Khurda.
As many as 420 more people recovered from the virus, taking the total recoveries to 12,82,690. The state has so far reported 12,96,132 cases.
