With 129 new Covid-19 cases, Gurugram inches towards 4,000 mark

Of the total active cases, 521 patients are currently hospitalised, either at dedicated Covid-19 hospitals or health care centers, while 1,201 have been put under home isolation.

Gurugram added 129 new cases to its count of people infected with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Thursday, taking its tally to 3,991. This is the lowest number of cases reported in a single day since June 6. On Thursday, at 2164 the number of patients in the district who have recovered from Covid-19 so far also surpassed Gurugram’s active cases now resting at 1,775 (down from 1861 on Wednesday).  One person succumbed to the infection on Thursday taking the death toll to 52.

The district’s test-positivity rate was 18.8%, the lowest since May 28, with 557 samples testing negative. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Of the total active cases, 521 patients are currently hospitalised, either at dedicated Covid-19 hospitals or health care centers, while 1,201 have been put under home isolation. As many as 53 patients are under observation at district Covid care centers.

Dr Virender Yadav, Gurugram’s chief medical officer, said, “A total of 251 patients were found to have recovered today. This is always a good sign. Flattening the curve means a reduction in active cases, which frees up health care resources for other patients who may need it.”

Officials said testing numbers would be increasing in the coming days, as was the case on Thursday, when the district conducted 686 tests (its highest in a day so far), up from 365 tests on Wednesday. The district’s test-positivity rate was 18.8%, the lowest since May 28, with 557 samples testing negative.

According to the district health department data, Gururgram’s recovery rate on Thursday stood at 54.2%, up from 50.05% on June 16. Experts said while this may seem like a positive development, Gurugram’s requires an increase in testing to prevent the curve from veering upward in the coming days.

An analysis of health bulletin data shows that till June 17, there has been a 28 percent decline in testing numbers since June 12. While the daily average number of samples tested from June 1 to June 12 stood at 403 samples per day, this number has fallen to just 288 samples per day, on average, in the past one week (till June 17). During this same period, the test-positivity rate rose by 21 percent, from 44 percent till June 12, to 65 percent. “Rising positivity rate with reduced testing means you are not testing enough. If you test less, then naturally you will find fewer cases,” said Rajesh Kumar, an epidemiologist and former professor of community medicine at PGIMS Chandigarh.