Shortage of vaccines prompted Odisha government to shut inoculation centres across 11 districts today causing much resentment among people who had braved the heatwave conditions to reach such centres even as the daily count of Covid cases were close to 7000 and 12 fatalities were recorded.

Complaints poured in from different districts where the old had to wait in the sun only to find the centre closed. Many of them said they have been trying to get their second dose over the last three days.

Tomorrow there will be no vaccination sessions in five districts said official sources.

Officials informed that already 4 lakh people in the age group of 18 to 44 have registered for vaccination. It is however unlikely that the vaccination will commence from 1 May and hence slots have not been provided to those who have registered online. As and when the vaccines arrive, orders for which have been placed with SII and Bharat Biotech, we will allot slots to the registered persons, added the officials.

The shortage in vaccines now is related to the vaccination of people in the 45 plus age group. Meanwhile, there was a marginal respite in terms of number of cases in the past 24 hours 6998 cases were reported after yesterday’s huge spike of 8386 cases.

Khordha district which encompasses state capital Bhubaneswar recorded the highest of 919 cases followed by Cuttack (517), Sundargarh (474), Nuapada (420), Jharsuguda (396), Bargarh (330), Angul (325), Sambalpur (323) and Mayurbhanj (308).

The positivity rate , accordingly dropped from 20 per cent to 15.88 per cent . Over 44,000 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. Odisha now has 57710 active cases. While the cases dropped slightly, the fatality however went up with 12 deaths being registered taking the death toll to 2029.

Four government offices inside the judicial complex in Bhubaneswar were sealed for seven days as a number of cases were detected. The state capital has also witnessed an increase in patients requiring hospitalization. The city has over 6000 active cases.

The state government today iterated that the incentive and insurance schemes for health workers that were announced last year will continue. DGP Mr Abhay told media persons that the police had collected Rs 5 crore towards fine and arrested 418 people in connection with violation of COVID guidelines.

A report from Mayurbhanj district said despite strict enforcement to check returnees from West Bengal , weekend shutdown etc the number of cases increased with 308 cases being detected in the past 24 hours. The district has borders with West Bengal as well as Jharkhand and there are 72 interstate routes . Thirty two check points have been erected. Yesterday 12 persons from Karnataka were sent to the quarantine centre after two of them tested positive.