Bhubaneswar: Covid fatalities in Odisha today surpassed 3000 marks with 41 covid patients succumbing to the virus in the past 24 hours.
Health and Family Welfare department sources said in the past 24 hours 41 patients from 20 districts undergoing treatment at various hospitals died pushing the covid toll in the state to 3035.
Khordha district registered a maximum of six deaths followed by four in Sundargarh and three each in Ganjam and Puri district. Two each died in eight districts and one each in nine districts.
In the past 24 hours 6118 new infection cases were reported from 3o districts. They included 3453 from quarantine centres and 2665 as local contact cases.
In last fortnight the daily covid infection load in the state has been reduced by 50 per cent from 12,852 reported on May 22 last to 6118 on Sunday last.
Sources said as many as 20 districts in the state reported less than 200 new cases in the past 24 hours. Cuttack district registered highest number of 640 followed by Jajpur ( 563), Khodha (495), Puri ( 398) and Mayurbhanj(352).
With the fresh 6118 cases, the covid tally in the state surged to 8,19,214.
As many as 7358 people recovered from the infection on Sunday pushing the total recoveries in the state to 7,39,376.
Official sources said the total positivity rate in the state has come down to 9 per cent from 20 per cent as registered last month. The active cases now stand at 76,750.
Meanwhile, in a major relief to covid patients in home isolation, the Odisha government has introduced home delivery of oxygen concentrators free of cost in five municipal corporations in the state to the covid patients and those discharged from hospital but required oxygen.
The free service of oxygen concentrators was launched in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur municipal corporation by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Patnaik said, ? Glad to launch doorstep delivery of oxygen concentrators in Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Cuttack, Rourkela and Sambalpur. It will give huge respite to the people who are looking for oxygen concentrators and strengthen our preparedness against current and future waves of Covid 19?.
Health Department sources said at the beginning each of the five municipal corporations has been provided with 1000 oxygen concentrators.
The oxygen concentrator would be given to those covid patents whose oxygen saturation level will come down to below 94.
The municipal corporation will monitor and look after the requirement of oxygen concentrators in their areas.
The municipal corporations have developed an AAP also for booking the oxygen concentrator. It can be booked through the state covid dashboard.
Once a patient booked the oxygen concentrator, a response team from the corporation would visit the house with the instrument and advise the family members how to use it.
Official sources said at present the service will be available only in five municipal corporation areas but later if required it would be extended to other needy districts.