Bhubaneswar: Odisha recorded new 2267 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours from 29 districts.
At the same time the death toll rose to 1933 with three more people, one each from Bolangir, Ganjam and Jajpur district succumbing to the virus in the past 24 hours.
On April 13 last 1784 positive cases were reported from the state and for the first time during this year the Covid cases breached the 2000 mark in a single day today.
A 43-year-old male of Bolangir district who was also suffering from Diabetes Mellitus , a 72-year-old male from Ganjam district who was also suffering from Carcinoma Stomach, Hypertension, Coronary Artery Disease and a 32-year-old male from Jajpur district who was also suffering from Sickle cell Disease died of Covid infection while under treatment.
Official sources said out of 2267 positive cases,1314 were reported from the quarantine centres and the rest 953 are local contact cases.
The tribal dominated Sundargarh district reported the highest number 458 positive cases followed by Khordha (348), Baragarh and Sambalpur 120 each Cuttack ( 117) and Nabarangpur and Nuapada 104 each.
In view of spike in Covid cases the Ganjam district collector has banned any congregations in the religious institutions,parks,play ground, sea beach for seven days till April 21.
Similarly, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation( BMC) has prohibited all kinds religious festivals like Maha Bishuva Sankranti, Hanuman Jayanti and Pana Sankrati in public places.
However, the BMC has allowed the religious rituals by the priests and sevayats without the devotees and the religious institutions were asked to comply strictly all the Covid protocols.
With the fresh detection of 2267 cases, the Covid tally in the state surged to 3,55,353 of which already 3,41,123 have been recovered.
The active cases in the state shown a rising trends and touched 12,244 on Wednesday while the Covid has so far claimed 1933 lives.
Amid strong second wave of the Covid infection in Odisha, the vaccination drive launched by the state government to inoculate over two lakhs daily has suffered badly as about eleven of the total 30 districts, went with out vaccination in the absence of vaccine doses.
Health and Family Welfare department sources said as many as 66 percent sessions sites were closed and Covid vaccination was carried out only in 495 of 1476 centres.
As against the target of over two lakh vaccination in a single day, the state could vaccinate over 66,000 doses.
The state government has urged the Centre to rush 25 lakh doses to meet the demand but received a little over two lakh doses of Covaxin and Covishield.
Official source said if fresh stock of doses did not arrive ,the state will be forced to close down the vaccination in as many as 15 districts.The non availability of vaccines has upset the vaccination plan of the state government.
The state government has urged the Centre to rush more Covishield doses as the vaccine is approved for the entire state except Bhubaneswar where Covaxin is being administered.