Chandigarh tricity sees uptick in weekly Covid cases

After a peak in May during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, cases had started dropping in the tricity June onwards

With 66 fresh infections reported this week (ending August 9), the Covid-19 case tally in tricity witnessed a slight uptick for the first time since June.

In the previous week, tricity had reported just 47 cases; the number went up to 66 in the week that ended on August 9.

In the previous week, tricity had reported just 47 cases. Experts, however, feel that it is too early to consider it as another peak.

In Mohali, the case tally reached 34 this week, against 19 cases reported last week. Panchkula, too, recorded a slight hike from four cases to nine cases. The cases in Chandigarh, however, have remained fairly consistent, with only 23 to 24 fresh infections being reported in the last four weeks.

Meanwhile, no Covid death was reported this week, against the two deaths last week.

It was in April and May this year when the cases had started increasing every week in tricity, but the peak had started flattening in June. In the first week of June, a total of 1,918 infections were reported in tricity, along with 58 casualties; of these 874 cases were reported in Mohali alone.

So far in August, till Monday, 38 cases were reported from Mohali, followed by 28 in Chandigarh and 10 in Panchkula.

No Covid death was reported this week, against the two deaths last week.

Dr Sanjeev Palta, the nodal officer of ICU management at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, said, “Covid cases have started increasing in tricity and neighbouring states. This is because people are not following social distancing, not wearing masks, and are still hesitant in getting vaccinated. This is a warning sign.”

Director of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Dr Jagat Ram said, “People’s lenient behaviour will invite a third wave soon. They must follow the rules. If the cases keep on increasing in the next few weeks, we may face a difficult situation again.”

Mohali civil surgeon Dr Adarsh Pal Kaur said, “We are expecting a third wave and now cases are on a rise. Even as sampling has increased, more cases are surfacing. We are requesting people to follow all precautions.”

Panchkula civil surgeon Dr Mukta Arora said, “It is too early to say that a third wave has hit the tricity area or Panchkula, but there is no denying that cases have started increasing. People must adhere to Covid-safety protocols to avert another peak.”

Tricity reports 18 cases on Tuesday

The upward trend in cases continued on Tuesday with the tricity reporting 18 fresh infections, against the seven reported on Monday. Mohali reported nine cases, Chandigarh five, and after reporting no fresh infection for three straight days, Panchkula witnessed four new ones.

No death, however, was reported in tricity for the 10th consecutive day.

In Mohali district, Kharar and Dhakoli reported three cases each, while one case surfaced in Boothgarh, Gharuan and Mohali each. In Panchkula, three cases were from Sector 26 and one from Sector 20. The infected people in Chandigarh are residents of Sector 12, 32, 42, 46 and PGIMER campus.

So far, 68,502 people in Mohali have tested positive, of which 67,398 have successfully beaten the virus and 1,057 have died.

In Chandigarh, 61,150 out of the 61,992 total patients have recovered and 811 have succumbed to the virus. Of the 30,654 people infected in Panchkula so far, 30,267 have recovered and 376 have lost their lives.

Around 7.29 lakh people in Chandigarh are eligible for vaccination. Till Tuesday, a total of 97% people had received their first shot, while 31% had received both the jabs.

Whereas in Mohali, 24% of the eligible 7.43 lakh population has been jabbed twice while 92% have received the first shot.

In Panchkula, of the 3.8 lakh eligible people, 84% have received the first dose and 36% have been fully vaccinated.