Ratha Jatra: Health Dept issues guidelines for Covid measures

Bhubaneswar: The Health Department had issued a special guidelines for Rath Yatra 2025. The Public Health Director Nilakantha Mishra had urged the people not to go to crowded places if one has Covid-like symptoms.

The people suffering from cold and flu, aged people or people with co-morbidities have been barred from attending the Rath Yatra chariot pulling. Similarly people having weak immunity due to other critical diseases have also been asked not to attend the festivities.

Those who are going have been asked to wear masks and sanitise their hands along with using clean drinking water. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Puri will be made operational and the Health Secretary Aswathy S will supervise all the preparations.

Similarly, the number of beds in Puri hospital will be increased. All the machinery and the ICU will be made operational along with ambulance facilities and health officials.

The number of Covid positive cases patients in the state has reached 30. Currently there are 23 active cases as 7 people have recovered.

The Covid positive patients are undergoing treatment at home, said Nilakantha Mishra the Director of Public Health of Odisha.