Gurugram breaches 3k Covid-19 cases, 203 more infected in a day

Over the past two days, Gurugram’s doubling rate has improved to 8 days (as recorded on June 12 evening), while the daily average growth rate in cases has also recorded a decline.

Gurugram breached the 3,000 cases mark on Saturday with the state health department’s morning bulletin recording 203 new people as having contracted Covid-19 in the district in a day.

From recording an average of 41 new cases per day in the last two weeks of May, the district is now is recording an average of 178 new cases per day, an increase of 338%, district health bulletin data shows. (Yogendra Kumar/HT Photo)

On Saturday, the total number of Covid-positive cases in the district stood at 3125 cases, up from 2,922 cases the previous day.

Over the past two days, Gurugram’s doubling rate has improved to 8 days (as recorded on June 12 evening), while the daily average growth rate in cases has also recorded a decline. On June 10, for example, the number of new cases was 9.8%. It dropped to 7.8% percent on June 12.

However, experts said these minute, day-to-day improvements are irrelevant when the data is viewed over a longer period, such as the past one month (in which time Gurugram recorded more than half of its total number of cases as of Saturday). An analysis of district bulletin numbers since May 18 (when lockdown restrictions began to be eased) shows that Gurugram’s test-positivity rates are at an all time high (45.6% on June 12), while testing numbers have not significantly improved.

From recording an average of 41 new cases per day in the last two weeks of May, the district is now is recording an average of 178 new cases per day, an increase of 338%, district health bulletin data shows. “This number is going to increase in coming weeks. High test-positivity rates, and shrinking of doubling rate, is a clear indicator that transmission of the virus has not been adequately controlled,” said Rajesh Kumar, epidemiologist and former professor of community medicine at PGIMS Chandigarh.

In Gurugram, 10 patients are currently in critical care at Medanta Hospital, Medeor and Fortis hospitals. This is two-thirds of the 15 patients on life-support across the state.

Meanwhile, Faridabad recorded 100 new cases on Saturday morning, followed by 14 cases in Bhiwani, 30 in Rohtak, and 16 in Ambala. Haryana’s total tally of Covid cases stands at 6,749 cases, of which 2803 patients have recovered, 78 have succumbed to the disease, and 3,868 are classified as ‘active cases’.