Odisha CM reviews COVID-19 situation

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], October 8 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday reviewed the COVID situation and its management in the state through video conferencing.
The Chief Minister also lauded the commitment of the COVID warriors who have been working in the fight against COVID-19.
An official release said that the central government has announced Rs 50 lakh as compassionate assistance to the families of COVID warriors. It said the state government sent the list of 60 warriors killed during the COVID management duty but the central government "has agreed to help only one martyr".
The Chief Minister said the state government would again draw the attention of the central government in this regard.
The Chief Minister said that the COVID protocol has now been standardized. He advised senior officials to contact the patients in home isolation and patients in COVID hospital and ask for their well-being.
The chief minister emphasized the need to focus on anti-viral drugs.
He expressed satisfaction that the number of patients cured in the state now exceeds 2 lakhs. The national cure rate is 85 per cent while the state's recovery rate is 89 per cent.
In the last eight months, 36 lakh tests have been conducted in the state.
The Chief Minister urged the people to be more vigilant as the festive season is approaching.
Giving a detailed account of COVID management, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathi said one lakh anti-viral medicines have been provided in Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar.
PK Mohapatra, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health, said the death rate in the state is 0.4 per cent, which is the lowest rate among all the major states in India. Odisha also ranks sixth among the states in terms of corona recovery.