Bhubaneswar, May 18: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday claimed that the corona situation in the state is under control due to emphasis on vaccination and timely administrative measure of lockdown. In the fight against the deadly virus, the administration decided to ramp up testing to 70,000 a day and add 368 more ICU beds for the treatment of critical patients.

Patnaik made the statement while reviewing the prevailing situation which had become grim during the second wave of the COVId-19 pandemic. He stressed on the rapid vaccination of the people. "Vaccination should be the prime strategy to curb the COVId-19 situation," he said. COVID-19 in India: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Instructs State Officials Regarding Coronavirus, Says Need to Be Prepared to Deal with Worst Situation.

Altogether 1,15,997 beneficiaries received the jabs Tuesday in Odisha while a total of 67,35,640 people have been inoculated in the state so far.

Patnaik also announced that there will be no further plasma therapy in the state.

While asking the authorities to ensure the hassle-free vaccination, Patnaik asked the officials to ensure maintenance of social distancing at vaccination centres. The people should be given time slot for vaccination in order to avoid crowd in vaccination centres, he said.

The state has registered more number of recoveries than the detection of new positive cases, he said, adding that the positivity rate has also declined after imposition of lockdown and weekend shutdown in the state. To further reduce the rate of infection, Patnaik said, the state government has extended the on-going lockdown till June 1.

Expressing happiness over the fall in the test positivity rate in the state despite the rise in the number of the daily caseload, he said that the death rate in the state has come down to 0.37 per cent from 0.40 per cent due to the effect of the lockdown and the cooperation of the people.

Stating that the number of ICU beds in the state has been increased for the treatment of critical patients, the chief minister said that efforts are on to set up another 368 ICU beds very soon.

The chief minister also laid stress on correct information about the health of the patients, improvement in the help desk for needy patients and strict adherence to COVID protocol at the vaccination centres.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, P K Mohapatra, who attended the review meeting, said while the test positivity rate was 21 per cent last week, it has come down to 18 per cent this week even as the number of daily spike of cases remained around 10,000. Similarly, Mohapatra said the fatality rate which was 0.40 per cent last week, has also declined to 0.37 per cent, which is one of the lowest in the country.

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