By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 17, 2020: Even after nine months into the pandemic and the novel coronavirus continues to wreak havoc at an alarming rate in Odisha with over 4000 positives every day.

Experts believe that coronavirus cases in the state have still not hit their peak or even plateaued. As many as 4241 persons in Odisha tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours taking the state’s tally to 1,67,161. With the new cases, the number of active cases in the state rose to 3,65,80. However, 1,29,859 patients have recovered in the state so far.

Odisha has already recorded 669 fatalities and the coronavirus cases continue to explode in the state, but the headway of the deadly virus has been quite uneven across the state making it difficult for epidemiologists to predict the future.

“These are trying times. It has We have not reached the peak or started plateauing as far as cases are concerned,” a top state government doctor said on condition of anonymity. More than 60 percent cases are asymptomatic, the doctor added indicating that the state is presently going through the fourth or the most critical phase of Covid transmission, i.e. the community spread.

Many health experts are of the view that the COVID-19 is likely to peak around November and then start declining in December. They, however, asserted that this would be possible only if people strictly follow the advisories/guidelines in a proper manner.

However, they underscored the need to ramp up testing with more positive cases being detected at present.