Amidst speculation that the State Government may begin an unlocking process after June 17 as the number of daily Covid-19 cases have declined significantly, Director of Health Services Bijay Mohapatra on Wednesday informed that discussions are on to lift the lockdown restrictions in certain districts. He told mediapersons that the Government is considering to start the unlocking process by relaxing certain restrictions in the districts where the test positivity rate (TPR) has dropped below 5 per cent.
Notably, the districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Balangir, Subarnapur, Jharsuguda and Deogarh now come under green zone with a steady fall in the infection.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also stated that the Government is considering an unlocking process in a phased manner in the districts with declining TPR. Regarding the State’s preparedness for a possible third wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Mohapatra said the next wave is likely to arrive in September-October and affect children the most. “We have already started our preparations to tackle the impending situation.
Training to doctors has already begun to ensure that children, to be infected by the disease, get the best treatment at hospitals. General and ICU beds have already been put in place,” he said.
However, as per AIIMS New Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria, children would not be affected much during the third wave, Mohapatra pointed out.