Odisha logs 3,679 fresh coronavirus cases, highest since June 18

Odisha registered 3,679 fresh COVID-19 cases, a 36-per cent rise over the previous day and the biggest single-day spike in more than six months, the Health Department said on Saturday.

The coastal state's coronavirus tally stood at 10.66 lakh.

The daily test positivity rate rose to 5.15 per cent from 3.92 per cent on Friday., it said, adding, the new infections include 384 children.

The death toll stood at 8,468 as no fresh fatality was reported in the past 24 hours. Fifty-three other Covid patients have died due to comorbidities so far, officials said.

Khurda district reported one-third of the fresh cases with 1,223 infections, followed by 582 in Sundargarh, 372 in Sambalpur, 310 in Cuttack, 134 in Jharsuguda and 100 in Puri, the department said in a bulletin.

Single-day cases in the state jumped more than 12-fold from 298 infections on January 1 and nearly doubled in just two days from 1,897 on Thursday.

Odisha now has 11,663 active cases, a steep climb from 8,237 a day earlier, while 10.46 lakh patients have recovered from the disease thus far, the bulletin said.

A total of 71,432 samples have been tested for COVID-19 since Friday, it added.

More than 2.99 crore people have been inoculated in the state so far.

Meanwhile, the district administration of Puri has imposed restrictions on cremation of bodies from outside at the Swargadwara here.

The order will be effective from January 10, Puri Collector Samarth Verma told reporters.

Earlier on Friday, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration announced that the 12th century shrine will remain closed for devotees from January 10 till January 31 in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases.