Fifty-one more COVID-19 cases were reported from Odisha on Thursday, taking the State’s total to 1,103, according to officials.
Eleven cases each have been reported in Nayagarh and Kalahandi districts, nine in Cuttack district, five in Jajpur, four in Ganjam, three in Mayurbhanj, two each in Jagatsinghpur, Angul and Sambalpur and one each in Puri and Malkangiri.
While 48 of the new cases were returned Odia migrant workers staying at different quarantine centres, the remaining three were locals, the government said.
Meanwhile, one COVID-19 patient from Ganjam district passed away, taking the total number of deaths to seven on Thursday.
On the other hand, 50 patients, including 22 from Ganjam and 15 from Balasore, were discharged, taking the persons recovered so far to 393.
Thus, the number of active cases in the State stood at 703 on Thursday. Besides, 936 persons were in hospital isolation. A total of 1,08,432 samples had been tested till midnight of Wednesday, officials said.
Loan target
The State government announced that in view of the unprecedented situation due to COVID-19, the loan target during kharif season had been enhanced from ₹7,500 crore to ₹9,000 crore. Small and marginal farmers, migrant workers, joint liability groups and women’s self-help groups would be given priority.
Proper planning had also been made to provide short term credit for fisheries, animal husbandry, dairy and poultry sectors to boost rural economy, the government said.
About 11,153 migrants returned to the State on Thursday, taking the total number of returnees to 2,14,373 so far.
The State government has been facilitating return of migrant workers from other States working in Odisha. A total of 26,621 migrant workers had been sent to their home States by buses by Thursday, the government said.
