By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August 22, 2020: Odisha has emerged as the second state in the country to conduct the maximum number of Covid-19 tests per day per million population, according to the Union health ministry.

The eastern state is conducting 1,265 tests per million per day just behind Goa with 1,825 tests per million per day against the National Average of 580

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik tweeted: “Odisha has emerged second leading state in the country by conducting 1,265 tests per million per day, compared to the national average of 580 as per the MoHFA. Odisha has been consistently ramping up tests for the identification and treatment of Covid-19 positive cases.”

An official release by the state government said, “Odisha is a role model for the nation and globally in handling of the Covid battle and the recent information on Covid testing by Union Government, placing Odisha in 2nd position in India is just another initiative of the Odisha Government to win the war against Covid.”

Odisha of late ramped up testing to collect 50,000 samples in a day, thus slashing the positivity rate to 5.5 per cent from 9.2 per cent. The drop in the number of cases might point at a downward trend in Odisha.

Odisha has so far reported 75,357 novel coronavirus positive cases and 400 deaths due to the infection. The state now has 24,581 active COVID-19 cases, while 50,504 patients have so far recovered.

Meanwhile, the authorities of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation on Saturday informed that the COVID-19 trend in the Odisha capital is at a peak.

Addressing media persons, BMC Commissioner, PC Choudhary said that higher number cases being reported on a daily basis shows that COVID19 has reached peak stage.

“Detection of more cases could be due to aggressive testing & opening up of economic activities. Earlier we used to test 1200 to 1500 samples but now we have upscaled out testing to around 3000 samples a day. But despite that positivity rate continues to remain around 10%” he said.

The BMC Commissioner further said that the next one month will be very crucial in the fight against the pandemic. People have to remain alert as much as possible and ride out the period with caution so that the peak flattens quickly.