An elderly person with comorbidities who recently returned from New Delhi has tested positive for COVID-19, an official source said on Thursday.
The 75-year-old patient has been admitted to a private hospital in the state capital. His family members have been instructed to remain in quarantine as a preventive measure.
According to Health Department sources, the patient’s blood sample will be sent to the Institute of Life Sciences for genome sequencing to determine the COVID-19 variant.
Odisha Health Secretary S. Aswathy informed the media that the situation is being closely monitored and urged the public not to panic, stating that the patient is stable and the detected variant appears to be very mild.
She further added that no advisory or guidelines have yet been issued by the Union Health Ministry regarding the current COVID-19 cases. However, she assured the public that the situation remains under control and there is no cause for concern at this time.
The Health Secretary emphasized that the government will implement all necessary precautionary measures. She noted that only sporadic COVID-19 cases have been reported so far, with no cluster outbreaks detected in any part of the country.
She also stated that once an advisory is received from the Union Health Ministry, the state government will take appropriate actions and enhance precautionary protocols accordingly.
Local health officials are currently working to identify close contacts of the infected individual to prevent further transmission of the virus. Efforts are also underway to test all individuals who may have come into contact with the patient.
