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At 0.3 mn, Pune district records most cases in April
In 2020, when the Covid pandemic peaked in September, Pune district had 57,298 active cases.On April 30, 2021, the number of active cases in the district stood at 1,06,019
Pune district recorded its highest number of Covid-19 cases - 3,07,000, and fatalities – 1,263, in April 2021, since the pandemic broke out last year.
According to state health department, areas under Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had 1,53,740 cases with 843 fatalities in April, which saw active cases in the district increase by 41,742.
In 2020, when the Covid pandemic peaked in September, Pune district had 57,298 active cases.
On April 30, 2021, the number of active cases in the district stood at 1,06,019.
Dr Subhash Salunke, advisor to the Maharashtra government on Covid-19, says that this could be the peak of the second wave and by mid-May, urban parts of the district may see a downward trend.
“This could be the highest growth. By third week of May, cases will go down in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, but they likely will not go down in the rural areas, which will take another fortnight to see the downward trend,” said Dr Salunke.
Despite the spike in April, the positivity rate has been gradually decreasing, as per Rajesh Deshmukh, collector, Pune.
“As the positivity rate has been going down, we can expect the curve to bend,” said Deshmukh.
Salunke attributed the surge to a vulnerable population getting exposed to the virus and also to the increased transmissibility of it.
“The virus now has been very efficiently transmitted. That is the reason why it is affecting all the family members. If one person is infected, then others are also getting easily infected,” Dr Salunke said.
In Pune district, the highest number of cases have been recorded in PMC limits in April.
Pune mayor Muralidhar Mohol said that PMC has been relentlessly working to increase bed capacity. “Only in April we have increased our strength of isolation beds, oxygen beds and ventilator beds. Every week we are adding to these numbers. Now the positivity rate has come down. Let’s be optimistic,” said Mohol.
According to Ayush Prasad, CEO, Pune Zilla Parishad, cases in the second wave are almost six times higher than the first wave. “For rural areas, currently cases are higher because mass testing is taking place at hotspots. We are getting a positivity of 18-20 %. In each house one person is tested. Because of the testing, positive cases are being identified,” said Prasad.
As the caseload has substantially increased, the demand for hospital beds, and especially for medical oxygen has increased. On January 22, the per day demand for medical oxygen in Pune district was 67.5 metric tonnes (MT).
On April 22, the demand rose up to 386.1 MT and, on April 29, Pune recorded a demand of 420 MT of medical oxygen.
Supply is low in proportion to the demand. On April 29, 353 MT was supplied to Pune.
