With test positivity rate below 1%, western Odisha goes into Nuakhai mood

BHUBANESWAR: For the first time in many months, the government has relaxed norms for a festival. On Saturday, Nuakhai will be celebrated in western Odisha.
Last year, the agrarian festival, was a very low-key affair as the state was reeling under the second wave of the pandemic in September. This year, no religious or cultural gatherings will be allowed. But there is no restriction on people organising rituals and feasts in their homes.
Currently, the test positivity rate (TPR) in all western Odisha districts is below 1%. Although, Nuapada is considered as the epicentre of the second wave because of its proximity to Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, the district’s TPR stands at 0.17%. It had seven active cases till Friday, the lowest in the state.
The shops are completely open for Nuakhai and people are shopping to their heart’s content. “The Nuakhai mood is much better this year,” said collector (Nuapada) Swadha Dev Singh.
On Friday, 745 samples tested positive out of the 66,106 tested in the state. The western districts taken together reported only 48 new infections out of 745. Four districts — Balangir, Boudh, Kalahandi and Jharsuguda — did not report a single case.
Balangir, Kalahandi, Subarnapur and Nuapada on many days have not reported any case. en able to achieve even now. The western Odisha districts witnessed a surge between August and November in the first wave affecting celebration of Nuakhai and Durga Puja.
This year, Balangir district has been testing 2,400 samples daily but only two to three cases are returning positive. Around 60% of the tests are being conducted through mobile facilities as teams stay parked at vantage locations to collect swab samples. Now, most of the urban centres in the western districts and rural pockets are witnessing nil cases.
Collector (Sambalpur) Subham Saxena said the Nuakhai celebrations is more lively this time as people are out shopping as there is no restriction on opening of markets. “Since a minuscule number of new infections are being reported, there is no fear among people. However, Covid appropriate behaviour is being ensured in the markets by regulating the crowd,” he said.
Khurda on Friday added 297 fresh cases while Bhubaneswar added 288 new infections against 171 recoveries. The number of active cases have again gone up to 3,332 in Bhubaneswar while there are 7, 078 active cases in the state.
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