BHUBANESWAR: The state’s test positivity rate (TPR) dropped from 15 to 10% within a week took 11 days to move further below to 5%.
But it is taking far longer to go below 5%.
On Saturday, the state reported 3,554 new infections from 68,695 samples tested, registering a TPR of 5.17%.
The government also reported the death of 47 Covid patients, taking the toll to 3,848.
With daily Covid cases in the 3,000 range, the TPR, too, has remained around 5%.
Health experts have observed that positivity rate of four coastal districts — Khurda, Jajpur, Puri and Cuttack — has been upsetting the state’s TPR.
While Puri has been reporting high number of cases since the beginning of the second wave, Khurda, too, has witnessed an aggressive surge.
As for rising cases in Jajpur, it is believed that it is paying the price for being close to Cuttack district.
Experts said people in Puri and Khurda (mostly Bhubaneswar) are still not paying much attention to Covid-appropriate behaviour.
Besides, markets are not being regulated so as to ensure that shoppers and vendors keep a safe distance.
Most of the vendors do not wear masks.
Ajay Parida, director, Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), said if the figures from the four coastal districts are segregated, then Odisha has shown considerable improve in decline of cases because the rest of the districts have very less TPR.
“Exclusive strategies need to be put in place for the four districts, including the capital city.
It has been observed that a city or urban centre with more facilities to draw crowd are taking longer time in showing decline in daily cases,” Parida said.
Besides the four coastal districts, Angul, Balasore and Bhadrak have been adding around 200 cases daily.