Bhubaneswar: Odisha reported another huge spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the state with 718 persons testing positive for the disease. The new additions of coronavirus cases took the tally of infected persons in Odisha to 16,110. Currently there are 5,124 active cases in Odisha. Among the new infections, 479 were in quarantine while the remaining 239 are local contact cases.
Four deaths were also reported in the last 24 hours. Two of the victims were from Ganjam district which has emerged has COVID-19 hotspot in the state. There was one fatality each in the districts of Angul and Gajapati. All were males and were having other comorbidities in addition to the coronavirus infection.
Two persons undergoing treatment for COVID-19 infection also breathed their last due to other ailments in the last 24 hours. A 62-year-old being treated for COVID-19 passed away due to cancer, while a 55-year-old male from Bhadrak died due to seizure disorder.
Ganjam and Khurda districts that will go under lockdown for 14 days from 9.00pm Friday reported the highest number of infections. In Ganjam district there were 231 new cases of coronavirus infections while in Khurda district 150 fresh cases emerged.
The other districts which reported fresh COVID-19 cases are Malkangiri (54), Cuttack (32), Keonjhar (28), Koraput (27), Jharsuguda (24), Mayurbhanj (22) Gajapati (21), Rayagada (19), Jagatsinghpur (16), Nayagarh (13), Bhadrak and Sundargarh (10 each), Angul, Puri and Balasore (nine each), Kandhamal and Sambalpur (seven each), Dhenkanal (six), Sonepur (five) Bargarh and Kendrapara (four each) and Navarangpur (one).
All the new patients have been admitted to their respective COVID-19 facilities in their districts.
It should be mentioned here that along with Khurda and Ganjam districts, the districts of Cuttack and Jajpur will also be under lockdown for 14 days. This was disclosed Thursday evening by Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy at a press conference. The lockdown is being implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus.