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Highest monthly deaths: 2nd Covid wave 5 times more fatal in Himachal
Highest deaths in a month during the first wave was 320, which rose to 1,643 in May, the peak of the second wave of the pandemic, indicating a five times increase in fatalities
Himachal Pradesh witnessed five times more fatalities during the peak of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
With the deadly second wave on the ebb, the state health department conducted a detailed analysis of the number of cases, positivity rate and deaths in the state, which shows that the highest deaths in a month during the first wave was 320, which rose to 1,643 in May, the peak of the second wave of the pandemic, indicating a five times increase in fatalities.
“Three coronavirus cases were registered in March 2020 at the time of the outbreak. The tally had risen to 18,459 by November when the virus was on its peak, after which the cases gradually declined till they reached 1,109 in February 2021,” the spokesperson said.
There was a resurgence of cases after February, with an uptick in the positivity rate from 0.7% in February to 3% in March. The state detected 4,960 cases in March against 1,109 in February. The cases hit the peak in May with 91,043 cases in a month. The positivity rate also jumped to 22.1%. The second wave was five times more devastating than the first one in terms of both number of cases and fatalities, the spokesperson said.
Vaccination for 18- 44 group only after online booking
A spokesperson of the health department said that vaccination for the 18-45 age group will only be available after online booking.
“All those under the age of 45 should book their appointment online through the Co-WIN portal or Arogya Setu app before coming at the vaccination centre. Beneficiaries should visit vaccination centre as per schedule to avoid unnecessary crowding at the centres,” he said, adding that the option of on-site scheduling may be provided in tribal or hard areas.
321 fresh infections, 12 more deaths
Himachal recorded 321 cases on Tuesday, taking the state’s tally to 1,99,197, while the death toll mounted to 3,394 after 12 more patients succumbed to the contagion.
Of the new cases, 76 were reported in Kangra, 50 in Shimla, 40 in Chamba, 39 in Mandi, 28 in Hamirpur, 20 in Kullu, 19 in Una, 17 in Solan, 10 each in Bilaspur and Sirmaur, nine in Kinnaur and three in Lahaul-Spiti.
Three fatalities were reported in Hamirpur, two each in Chamba Kangra and Sirmaur and one each in Mandi, Solan and Una. Recoveries reached 1,91,732 after 691 people recuperated while the active cases have whittled down to 4,050.
In terms of the cases, Kangra remains the worst-hit district with 45,368 cases, followed by Mandi with 26,723 cases and Shimla with 24,781 cases. Solan has 22,078 cases, Sirmaur 15,165, Hamirpur 14,158, Una 13,124, Bilaspur 12,461, Chamba 10,787, Kullu, 8,696, Kinnaur 3,177 and Lahaul-Spiti 2,679.
