Bhubaneswar, May 22 (UNI) Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary Aswathy S

on Thursday urged the public not to panic over the recent sporadic appearance of COVID-19 cases

in the state.

Speaking to the media, she assured that the state government is maintaining strict vigilance and is closely monitoring the evolving situation.

“The government machinery is fully alert and prepared to handle any potential developments,” she said.

Aswathy’s remarks came in response to a media query regarding the detection of a single COVID-19 case in the state.

The case involves an elderly man with comorbidities who had recently returned from Delhi. He tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. However, his condition remains stable, she confirmed.

The Health Secretary emphasized that sporadic and isolated cases of COVID-19 have continued to surface in various parts of the country since the decline of the pandemic's peak in 2020-21.

She noted that the disease has been well-controlled and contained in Odisha since then.

She attributed the state’s success in curbing the spread of the virus to the free rollout of vaccines, mass vaccination campaigns, and sustained government initiatives, which have significantly reduced the burden of the disease.

“Sporadic cases are an ongoing phenomenon and are managed according to established protocols as and when they arise,” she said.

According to indicators from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), these sporadic cases are of mild variants of known, pre-existing strains. They do not lead to severe illness, and no new advisories have been issued by either the NCDC or WHO regarding such cases.

The Health Secretary reiterated that the department is fully prepared to respond to any future cases that may be detected.

UNI DP BM