The first Covid-positive case has been detected in one of the staff members engaged by the Odisha government for the FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup here at the Kalinga Stadium, an official said on Friday.
A person from the social media team of the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS), Odisha Govt has been found positive. A dedicated team is working to trace the contacts of the person, said the official requesting anonymity.
As the engaged staff and all other participants are allowed to go out and testing is being done every 72 hours, the staffer might have come in contact with the virus, the official said.
More tests have been arranged for all those involved with the event, including media persons. The players have been kept in a bio-bubble to prevent them from contracting the virus.
The organisers are in a tizzy following the detection of first positive case and also the possibility of cyclone Jawad wreaking havoc when the tournament has entered the semifinal stage.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the cyclone will likely make landfall near Puri between December 4 evening to December 5 morning.
“As the Met department has forecast heavy downpour in many parts of coastal Odisha including Bhubaneswar, we have kept additional manpower and equipment ready to ensure smooth conduct of the matches,” said Odisha Sports Secretary R. Vineel Krishna.
Odisha reported 270 fresh Covid-19 cases and three deaths on Friday. The highest number of cases — 124 — has been detected in Khurda district where Bhubaneswar city is located.
