Bhubaneswar adds 200 Covid-19 cases in past 10 days

BHUBANESWAR: Out of total 433 Covid-19 positive cases, the city has reported so far, 200 cases have been added in just past 10 days (from June 25 to July 5) compared to the first 200 cases, which were reported in 112 days starting March 15. On an average, 20 cases daily have been added in past 10 days.
The virus since June 25 has infected scores of Covid warriors and BMC employees, who are also at the forefront of containing the pandemic. There has been significant rise in local cases. In June, around 30 per cent of the total cases were local contact, which means they were not quarantined and they somehow got the virus from the primary contact. Out of the 113 cases reported since July 1, 25 are local cases, which is a big worry for the city authorities.
The capital city on Saturday reported highest single day spike of 45 cases in July so far. Satyanagar locality, which was under containment in April reported a positive case. Five new localities have reported cases. “Positive cases are rising but we are able to link the local cases to already infected ones. So, there is no fear of community transmission. We will continue enforcement activities. But, during unlock phase, we expected that some more cases would come up as near normal life has started,” said BMC commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhury.
Ashok Mohapatra, vice chancellor of SOA University and former director (AIIMS, Bhubaneswar) said the virus spreads no geometrical progression and not arithmetical whichever area it may be. “It is not quite surprising that capital city has added 200 cases in 10 days. We need to understand that there no business activities going on. People are coming out. Vehicular movement has started. However, the spike in cases point to the fact that people are not adhering to the norms. It is also unfortunate that frontline health workers are getting infected,” he said.
He added that more restriction is not the way out. “Unless community people cooperate, force will have little impact,” he said adding even if the city hasn’t received migrants compared to other towns and districts, the rise in local cases should be a worry.
The virus also touched BMC headquarters with three of its employees-two engineers and a driver- testing positive among the 19 fresh cases on Sunday. The engineers had gone to other district, where they had attended a marriage function. “After five days we tested their sample and they came positive. The driver was from a private company, which engaged its vehicle in BMC in contract basis. We are not treating him as employee,” said a BMC officer.
The BMC has sealed its engineering section and sent 25 of its employees to home quarantine. It has also sanitized the office building.
On Sunday, 23 more patients recovered in the city taking the total recovery to 270. With six deaths and 270 recovering, there are 157 active cases in the city.
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