Ahead of the Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha has stepped up its Covid-19 surveillance and preparedness. The State Health Department enforced these measures after neighbouring Andhra Pradesh reported active cases and two Covid-19 deaths.
So far, no confirmed positive cases have been reported in Odisha.
Odisha's health authorities said that the measures were taken to ensure that any potential infections are detected and contained early.
Rabindranath Mishra, Odisha's Public Health Director, said that regular testing is being carried out at healthcare facilities. He also added that there is no immediate cause of concern and the state remains on alert.
According to reports, Odisha's Ganjam district is under high alert following the spike in cases in Andhra Pradesh.
All hospitals have been directed to test for Covid-19 mandatorily for all patients suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection, SARI.
The Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, is one of the grandest and oldest chariot festivals, celebrating the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra. The festival draws millions of devotees who gather to pull three massive, intricately decorated wooden chariots from Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government attempted to assuage the fears with a statement pointing out that there is no evidence of cases rising.
TN is monitoring the situation
In the wake of the Covid-19 alert in AP, the Tamil Nadu health department said that the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine is continuously monitoring the situation and urged people to rely on official information rather than rumours.
The health department's response came after the death of a 52-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh, who was shifted from a private hospital in Tirupati to Vellore. The man was diagnosed with Klebsiella pneumonia, a common bacterial infection, along with Covid-19.
Two separate deaths were also reported in the state, but there is no confirmation yet that they were linked to Covid-19.
The TN Health Department said that there is no evidence that a highly virulent Covid-19 variant is circulating in Tamil Nadu.
In Tamil Nadu, Covid-19 surveillance continues as part of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme through routine surveillance. Covid-19 testing is also routinely done before surgeries (pre-operative test) for patients with severe respiratory illness who are not responding to treatment, and in other patients.
