Positivity rate remains at 10% as Gurugram records 998 new infections on Tuesday

The city on Tuesday reported 998 Covid-19 cases and one Covid-related death, taking the total case tally to 72,271 and the number of deaths due to the infection to 370, as per the health department data

The city on Tuesday reported 998 Covid-19 cases and one Covid-related death, taking the total case tally to 72,271 and the number of deaths due to the infection to 370, as per the health department data.

A health worker testing samples collected for Covid-19 testing at Sector 31 Polyclinic in Gurugram. (Vipin Kumar / Hindustan Times)

There was no reduction in the positivity rate from Monday, as it continued to remain at 10%

Officials of the health department said that they recommended more areas to be listed as containment zones, which will increase the number of such zones from 61 to 94. The case spike on Tuesday took the total number of active cases in the district to 6,460, of whom 6,018 are in isolation.

Dr Virender Yadav, the chief medical officer said that cases are on the rise in specific areas, due to which they have recommended an increase in containment zones to isolate the cases.

According to the health department data, 714 patients recovered on Tuesday, while 9,013 samples were collected for Covid-19 testing. Till date, the department has collected 1,031,175 samples for testing across the district.

Health department officials said that 15,060 people were vaccinated on Tuesday at 220 session sites. Till date, the department has vaccinated 275,000 people in the city, which is almost 55% of the eligible beneficiaries.

Yadav also said that the department managed to achieve 175% of the targets set for the ‘tika utsav’ that commenced on April 11. “The number of vaccinations at private hospitals was only 2,000 and this is matter of concern for us. We took up this matter with their representatives during a meeting today and asked them to expand the vaccine outreach,” he said.

MCG to start mass sanitisation

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will restart mass sanitisation drives in the city, especially in containment zones, due to the spike in Covid-19 infections, a release issued by the civic body on Tuesday stated.

From March to September last year, the MCG undertook mass sanitisation exercised. However, after the number of Covid-19 cases started to fall, it was being carried out at a micro-level, in floors, or outside houses of people with the infection.

Common spaces such as lifts, staircases, parks, and streets are disinfected with isopropyl alcohol hydrochloride to contain the spread of the Sars-Cov-2 by the MCG. Last year, the MCG sanitised and disinfected around 350 residential areas in the city along with ATM kiosks, bank branches, chemists and grocery shops.

MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said that in the first phase, sanitisation will be done in the containment zones on Wednesday and Thursday, and in the second phase, it will be carried out across the city.

“According to the schedule, a special campaign will be launched to sanitise 91 areas of Gurugram on Wednesday and Thursday. Various teams have been formed for this task. After sanitisation, fogging and anti-larvae operations will be initiated as per schedule in all condominiums, sectors and colonies of Gurugram to keep a check on vector-borne diseases as well,” said Singh.

Around 10 teams have been formed for the MCG for the mass sanitisation and anti-larvae operations. The teams will undertake sanitisation as well as initiate fogging and anti-larvae activities simultaneously.