Bhubaneswar, Feb 7 (IANS): The Covid-19 cases in Odisha continued to decline and on Monday 1,497 news cases were reported.

The state had reported 2,106 cases Sunday and 2,603 cases on Saturday.

According to the State Information and Public Relations department, among the 1,497 positives reported on Monday, 874 cases were detected in quarantine and 623 were the local contact cases. This is the lowest daily case reported since January 6, 2022.

Highest 251 cases have been reported from Khurda district, while 101 cases detected in Sundergarh districts. All other 28 districts of Odisha have recorded below 100 cases today.

The daily test positivity rate (TPR) has also dropped to 3.18 per cent from 3.48 per cent the previous day.

However, the fatalities due to Covid-19 continued to remain high in Odisha. The state, which had reported 23 death cases on Sunday, registered another 20 deaths on Monday. The death toll due to Covid-19 in Odisha now stands at 8,754.

Khurda district reported six new fatalities followed by four in Kalahandi, three in Cuttack, two each in Jagatsinghpur and Nayagarh, and one in Rayagada, Kendrapara and Jajpur district.

Meanwhile, all educational institutions of Class 7 and above, including universities, colleges, polytechnics, ITIs and technical colleges were reopened on Monday with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols.

All schools have been reopened for students of Class- 7 to 12 for the academic session 2021-22. The physical teaching for KG to Class 7 students will resume from February 14.

The teaching hours for the students of Class 9 to 12 will begin at 10 a.m. and will continue till 4 p.m. while the Class 7 students attended classroom teaching from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The classes will continue on all days excluding Sundays and public holidays. However, cooked meals will not be served to the students at schools, officials said.

Similarly, the colleges and universities also reopened in the state Monday. The students started attending classes at their respective institutions. The school and college hostels have also been reopened.

"After doing thermal scanning and ensuring wearing masks, students have been allowed into the school. We have kept an isolation room ready for those students, who develop any Covid-like symptoms" said a teacher from Municipality College, Rourkela.

The students are allowed to attend the classes either online mode or offline mode in consultation with their parents. Attendance is not mandatory for students in offline mode, the officials said.