E-Paper
As second wave looms for Pune, number of tests being conducted not increasing
PUNE As Pune is on the verge of reporting a possible second wave of Covid-19 infections, with experts suggesting another peak by April, the government has not increased the number of tests being conducted in the district
PUNE As Pune is on the verge of reporting a possible second wave of Covid-19 infections, with experts suggesting another peak by April, the government has not increased the number of tests being conducted in the district. This is even as the positivity rate is moving up.
The number of tests being done in Pune district is lower than Mumbai, even though the number of cases being reported is higher than the state capital.
For Pune, the Covid-positive curve began moving upwards since mid-February and is refusing to flatten, despite restrictions in place.
In the past five days, Pune district’s daily case load is constantly showing a surge, starting from 2,507 on March 11, to 3,066 on March 14.
On March 15, Monday, Pune reported 2,183 cases.
Tests were within the range of 15,500.
On March 11, the district conducted 15,791 tests, then 15,836 on March 14, and 12,240 on March 15.
While Pune conducted 73,894 tests in five days, starting March 11, and reported 13,831 cases, Mumbai had 98,665 tests with 8,541 cases, according to data shared by the state health office.
Pune is currently reporting 25% of the new cases in the state and one in every 10 new cases in the country is from Pune.
At any given time, every fourth or fifth Covid-19 case in the state is from Pune district.
A second wave could see 40% of Covid19 patients turn serious, as seen in September 2020 the peak of Covid-19 in Pune, according to a report submitted by the Tata Consultancy Services and Prayas Health Group.
Pune’s positivity rate has now been rising since January.
While the positivity rate in September 2020 was 27.7%, it went down to 15.9% in October; 9% in November; 8% in December; 6and .7% in January.
However, the positivity rate has been increasing since February, to 10%, and 14.3% between March 1-10.
Positivity rate is the number of positives for every 100 tests.
As per the WHO for better containment of Covid-19, the positivity rate should be below 5%.
In view of the surging tally, the district administration has imposed several restrictions in Pune, including night curfew, closure of schools and colleges, and a 10 pm deadline for malls, hotels, bars and restaurants.
“Growing cases is matter of concern for all of us. We appeal to all the citizens and traders to follow Covid-19 norms. Strict action will be taken against those violating guidelines,” said Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao.
As per PMC, wards which were earlier reporting the highest number of cases, especially those located centrally and are congested, are now reporting a lower number of cases.
The administration also believes that “herd immunity” developed during the first wave in these wards is the reason. Most new cases are coming from housing societies. The most affected wards are Hadapsar, Warje-Karvenagar, Wadgaonsheri, Dhankawadi, Sinhgad road and Kothrud.
As of Monday, of the more than 22,000 active cases, 14,259 are in home isolation and 7,960 are in hospital.
More than half of the active cases isolated in homes are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. However, in the past few days the case fatality rate has been going up in the district
Residents are now also responding positively to the vaccination drive. Almost 25,000 beneficiaries have got the vaccine, most of whom are senior citizens.
