Bhubaneswar: In the backdrop of a surge in Covid cases over the last two weeks in countries like Japan, Korea, USA, France, Brazil, Germany, and China, the Odisha government today urged people to voluntarily adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour such as wearing of mask, frequent hand washing, self-isolation for symptomatic persons and avoid spitting in public places.
Briefing the press after a high-level review meeting on Covid-19 preparedness in the State, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Health & Family Welfare department Shalini Pandit said that situation in the State has remained stable with below 15 cases per day since November this year and on most days it is below 10 cases.
Pandit pointed out that hospitalization at present in the State is nil with an active caseload of 54 as of date.
She informed quoting experts that the current variants circulating since the last few months in India are all sub-variants of Omicron and have not led to any rise in cases or hospitalization.
Further quoting experts, she said that the new Omicron variants though associated with high transmissibility, there is no evidence to suggest that it can cause disease severity or escape vaccine-infused immunity in the country.
The Health Secretary said that the present testing level in the State of 134 tests per million is much higher than the country level of 109 per million.
Also, Odisha is testing 1552 samples to get one positive against India’s figure of 589 tests for one positive, the Health Secretary informed while adding that in the above scenario the current testing and surveillance strategy for the state has to continue as the ICMR guideline and added that it has been decided to conduct Whole Genome Sequencing (WSG) of all positive samples.
The surveillance at airports and sea ports are to be guided by the advisory/ guidelines issued by the Gol from time to time, she said.
Pandit informed that at present ILS, Bhubaneswar, and RMRC, Bhubaneswar are conducting Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for the Covid positive cases as a part of the INSACOG consortium.
In the meantime, a WGS facility has been set up in SCB Medical College & Hospital and the government will soon apply to INSACOG for its affiliation, she said.
The Health Secretary informed that during the review meeting it was found that hospitals and laboratories in the state had sufficient stock of drugs and consumables.
Speaking on the oxygen availability situation in the state, Pandit said that PSA plants have been established in all districts, and also Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) plants have been set up in bigger districts.
“Therefore we are very secure in oxygen situation,” she added.
All district headquarters hospitals including Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar; RGH, Rourkela and Medical College and Hospitals have been directed to undertake mock drills uniformly across the State on December 27 to ensure operational readiness for management of Covid with specific focus on oxygen plants, ventilators, logistics, and human resources.
Further, in view of the ensuing Hockey World Cup, it was decided at the review meeting that all UPHCs and UCHCs in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Rourkela will have walk-in testing facility for RAT and Swab collection for RT-PCR for Covid-19.
