BHUBANESWAR: The state on Tuesday saw 5,891 fresh cases, down from 7,291 a day before. In the past one week since the infections hit the peak, there has been a steady decline of close to 6,000 cases, with the highest single-day dip of around 2000 cases being recorded on Tuesday. The state also reported a test positivity rate of less than 10% (9.85%).
The let-up in infections has come as a huge relief for the healthcare authorities and also for the state government, which is gearing up for the panchayat election in February. Medical experts earlier said, epidemiologically, a week of consistent fall is a definite indicator of the bending of the curve.
“We have seen a sharp fall in the daily caseload since the peak of the third wave on January 19. We can now hope for educational institutions to run as usual, business activities to pick up pace and normalcy to be restored in general. However, there is no room for complacency. People with underlying conditions still need to be careful, as severe complications are being reported in those with co-morbidities,” Jayant Panda, the technical advisor to the government on Covid-19, said.
