The Odisha government will reserve five per cent of general and ICU beds for healthcare workers in hospitals.

A senior health official said the decision was taken as part of the appropriate precautions to ensure that the workers remains free from Covid infection. “It will help us to face a possible third wave of the virus. They (healthcare workers) are the backbone of the health system. We don’t want any of them to face any difficulties while coming for treatment,” the official said.

According to the notification issued by the state health department, all healthcare workers will be provided with PPE. All of them have been asked to abide by the Covid guidelines. Thermal detectors will be used to screen people at all the entry points to hospitals. The healthcare workers are entitled to all benefits according to the guidelines.

The health department has also asked hospitals to screen all patients with suspected Covid symptoms by conducting rapid antigen tests.

The Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) in Bhubaneswar has advised people to take all precautions to avoid the possible third wave.

“We need to be careful to avoid a possible outbreak of a third wave. All will be hit, including children. The effects of the third wave depend on three aspects — vaccination, mutation of virus and adherence to Covid guidelines,” said Dr Ajaya Parida, director of the ILS.

Director, health services, Bijay Mohapatra said: “The state government is fully prepared to tackle the third wave. We have adequate ventilators, oxygens and ICU beds.”

On Saturday, the state breached the eight-lakh Covid cases mark after 7,395 more people tested positive for the infection. Odisha’s total caseload now stands at 806,094.

Khurda district, under which state capital Bhubaneswar falls, reported the maximum number of new cases at 1,069, followed by Cuttack at 868, Jajpur at 561 and Angul at 443.