The coronavirus count in Odisha breached the 30,000 mark on Thursday with 1,203 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

The total case count in the state has gone up from 25,000 to over 30,000 in four days.

The number of Covid-19 cases stands at 30,378 while 169 patients have died and 18,398 have recovered from the disease. Ten deaths were reported on Thursday. The state capital has reported 2,607 positive cases so far.

The state government is concerned that not only the number of cases are rising daily but also that several medical colleges and hospitals are facing a spike in Covid-19 cases affecting healthcare operations.

On Thursday, the government sealed the ICU of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Bolangir for seven days after a rise in coronavirus cases in its wards.

Earlier, reputed medical colleges and institutions of the state like AIIMS Bhubaneswar, SCB Medical College, Shishu Bhawan and Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Institute, all in Cuttack, had been forced to limit their services due to a rise in coronavirus cases.

However, chief minister Naveen Patnaik assured the people and the MLAs that Odisha would use all the resources in its command to fight the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

“There will be no constraints in funds in the battle against the deadly Covid-19. The state will put every resource in its command to fight the pandemic and save people’s lives,” he said.

The chief minister also pointed out how the state government was providing free treatment to Covid-19 patients.

“Whatever best treatment is available in any part of the world, Odisha will implement the same and make it accessible to our people free of cost,” he said.

Congratulating thousands of Covid warriors engaged in the battle to save lives, Patnaik said, “I can proudly say that my Odia brothers and sisters as Covid warriors are not just doing their work for salary but working for a mission to save every Odia possible,” he said.

The chief minister also highlighted how the Covid warriors have been working relentlessly for more than 150 days in an environment of uncertainty.

He urged the legislators to encourage the plasma donation programme as plasma therapy intervention for treating Covid-19 patients has shown good results.

So far four people have been discharged from hospitals after successful plasma therapy treatment.

The chief minister also sanctioned an ex gratia of Rs 15 lakh each for the family of two journalists, Priyadarshi Pattnaik and K. Ch. Ratnam, who succumbed to Covid-19.