E-Paper
Pune’s daily Covid tally remains under 1,000-mark for past one week
This is for the first time after July, when cases have remained under the 1,000-mark throughout the week even as number of tests have been in the range of 4,000-4,600 barring Sunday, when it sees a drop due to it been the weekend.
Pune’s tally of daily positive Covid-19 cases has been below the 1,000-mark for the past one week, bringing some respite to the civic administration battling the pandemic for the past seven months.
This is for the first time after July, when cases have remained under the 1,000-mark throughout the week even as number of tests have been in the range of 4,000-4,600 barring Sunday, when it sees a drop due to it been the weekend.
The city’s positivity rate, which was 30.5% in the first week of September and 23.9% at the beginning of October has dropped to 20.39% during October 2 to October 11 (see box).
With the daily caseload falling at a time when the state government has increased the bed capacity in the city and rest of the district, the number of non-oxygen beds to remain vacant by October 15 are expected to be 13,020 while oxygen beds to remain unoccupied will be 763, according to the administration’s projection.
The projection, prepared based on the statistical model by IIT Bombay and other experts, also indicates 243 ventilators and 1,185 ICU beds to be vacant by mid-October as the situation eases.
The drop in the number of daily cases and positivity rate is being observed even after the state government has allowed restaurants and bars to operate their dine-in facility since October 5. With shop timings also increased and most sectors, including hotel industry and travel allowed, there’s increased crowd in the market, which has prompted the administration to ask the citizens to exercise caution.
Dr Subhash Salunkhe, chairman of the Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control Technical Committee, said, “It is too early to say that the infection is coming under control. The government has only recently opened restaurants and bars and there are festivals planned in the future. It is true that the number of cases is falling daily, but we will know the exact situation only after Diwali.”
Despite several attempts, the Pune Municipal Corporation additional commissioner Rubal Agarwal and Pune divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao were unavailable for comment on the bed projections.
“With most things open, many people are stepping out of their home. However, it has been seen that people are still not wearing masks,” deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had said during his Pune visit on Friday.
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray too on Sunday asked people in the state to be careful and follow norms. “While the cases have dropped in the past few days, people need to be careful,” said Thackeray in his public addresses aired on social media.
Thackeray’s caution came a day after Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Saturday indicated that by the end of November, remaining restrictions under the lockdown will also be lifted in the state and all sectors will be allowed to reopen. Tope had said, that the government is now planning to give permission of reopening schools and religious places in the coming days.
