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After hitting lowest mark, Chandigarh tricity’s weekly Covid cases on the rise again
In the week ending on Sunday (October 17), a total of 50 Covid cases surfaced in the Chandigarh tricity area, as compared to 47 in the previous week
After getting a breather last week with the lowest Covid-19 cases since the second wave, the tricity is once again witnessing a rise in infections.
In the week ending on Sunday (October 17), a total of 50 Covid cases surfaced in the tricity, as compared to 47 in the previous week.
Though the rise in cases is marginal, the health department officials have cautioned that complacency, especially during the ongoing festival season, can cause the caseload to shoot up further.
Of the total 50 cases this week, Mohali reported 26, followed by Chandigarh with 14 and Panchkula 10.
No one tested positive in Panchkula on three days, while the daily count remained zero in Mohali and Chandigarh tally on one day each.
At 26, cases in Mohali were 188% higher than nine cases last week. However, Chandigarh’s count dipped from 32 to 14. In Panchkula, it changed from six to 10.
In some relief, no fatality owing to the virus was reported in the tricity this week, after three deaths in the week ending on October 10.
At the peak of the second wave in May, the tricity had recorded 46,245 cases and 790 deaths in just one month.
With restrictions on public movement being put in place, the curve started flattening thereon and only 50 cases were recorded in the last week of July. The weekly cases have been fluctuating ever since, but have never crossed the 100 mark.
Mohali civil surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur said, “Covid cases in Mohali district have started increasing again, so testing has been intensified. But it is also crucial to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, especially during the festival season when public movement increases.”
Dr Suman Singh, director, health services, Chandigarh, said, “As restrictions have been lifted and festivities are underway, more gatherings are taking place. To avoid serious infection, people must complete their vaccination cycle as early as possible. Even if people are vaccinated, they must maintain social distance and wear face masks in public. Only these precautions can avert the third wave.”
She added, “Since 60% of the population is already immunised in Chandigarh, leading to herd immunity, the transmission rate is under control. The health department is sticking to the testing-and-vaccination practice to control the spread. Any rise in the positivity rate is revealed through testing people.”
Nine test positive in tricity
The tricity logged nine fresh Covid-19 cases on Monday, down from 13 on Sunday.
Chandigarh confirmed four cases, while three people tested positive in Mohali and two in Panchkula. No death was reported in any area for the 13th straight day.
However, the active cases rose from 66 to 68 since Sunday. A total of 34 patients are still recuperating in Mohali, 24 in Chandigarh and 10 in Panchkula.
The latest cases in Chandigarh came from Sectors 19 and 28, and Khuda Lahora.
The three cases in Mohali were from Dhakoli and Mohali city.
Chandigarh’s caseload has reached 65,306, including 64,462 recoveries and 820 deaths.
In Mohali, 68,785 people have tested positive till date. As many as 67,683 have beaten the virus, but 1,068 have died.
Panchkula has confirmed 30,753 infections so far. Among them, 30,365 patients have been cured and 378 have succumbed to the virus.
