PUNE As compared to the first Covid wave, which peaked in September 2020 in Pune city, the second wave, which peaked in April 2021, has seen the positivity rate and number of cases keep to a lower count four months post the peak, as per reports from the district information office.
Four months after the first wave, in January 2021, the positivity rate lingered around 4%. However, now, in August, four months after the second wave the positivity rate is 2% in the city.
The city reported its lowest number of daily cases on January 25, a Monday, when swab collection numbers for the previous day, Sunday, are reported. However that January week, the city reported between 250 and 150 new Covid-19 cases and the positivity rate stood at 6%-4% on most days, as sample testing was limited to between 2,000-40,00 tests a day.
In the current week, August 16 onwards, the count of new cases is 100-250, while samples being tested have gone up to 6,000-9,000 per day.
Dr Pradip Awate said, “As of now Pune city is in a much better position and the number of cases being reported daily are mostly from the rural area. Pune rural is more widespread and densely populated than other rural areas in any district in the state. Additionally, now the number of cases from rural areas is also coming down, which further brings down the positivity rate of the district. The last few cases are difficult to bring down to an absolute zero.”