Daily cases below 500 after over three weeks

The district on Sunday reported 479 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest number of daily new infections in over three weeks. Gurugram had previously reported 460 new infections

The district on Sunday reported 479 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest number of daily new infections in over three weeks. Gurugram had previously reported 460 new infections on November 3, following which the number of new daily infections has remained consistently above 500 cases per day. Gurugram’s total tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 49,098.

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The health department tested a total of 56,007 samples for Covid-19 this past week, the highest seven-day aggregate since the beginning of the outbreak. The spurt in testing marks a 51% increase from the 37,000-odd samples tested last week, and resulted in a dip in the weekly test-positivity rate (TPR) — the ratio of positive samples to total samples tested — from 11.5% to 7% in the intervals ending on November 22 and 29. This is the lowest in at least six weeks.

Health department officials were reluctant to comment on whether the district’s third wave of infections, which began with the onset of winter in mid-October, is waning. They, however, said that the numbers present a hopeful trend. “Sunday was the first day that we reported less than 500 cases. And despite a substantial increase in testing over the past week, we are reporting fewer cases than in mid-November. The growth rate is abating but the decline in new daily cases will reduce gradually,” said Dr Jai Prakash Sharma, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme’s district surveillance officer, Gurugram.

The number of active cases, however, has gone up, currently at 6,160 patients, from 5,693 active cases a week ago. Of the currently active cases, 391 patients are hospitalised (down from 422 a week ago), while 5,757 patients are under home isolation (up from 2,264 a week ago). Another 12 patients (up from 10 a week ago) are under observation at district Covid care centres.

Gurugram also reported five Covid-related deaths on Sunday, taking the total mortality count to 288.

Of the 367 beds in intensive care units (ICU) currently reserved for Covid-19 treatment across 42 hospitals in the city, 201 are currently occupied. This also includes 253 ventilator beds, of which 81 are presently occupied. In addition, the district has another 2,633 general hospitals beds currently reserved for Covid-19, of which 625 are occupied. However, at least 425 Covid-19 patients currently hospitalised in the city for treatment of Covid-19 are not residents of Gurugram.