India’s Covid-19 cases have been on a rollercoaster ride for the past few weeks. After experiencing a decline in the number of daily cases in the past five days, the country has once again reported a surge in cases on 19th April. According to data shared by the Health Ministry, a total of 10,542 cases were registered in the last 24 hours. This comes after the country reported 7,633 cases on the previous day.
Declining Graph in the Past Five Days
India has been grappling with a deadly second wave of Covid-19 for the past few weeks, with the number of cases and deaths increasing every day. However, the country had seen a declining graph in the past five days, from April 14 to April 18. On April 15, the country reported 10,753 cases, which reduced to 10,093 on April 16 and further to 9,111 on April 17. On April 18, the country reported 11,109 cases, following which a decline was observed for five consecutive days.
Active Cases and Total Deaths in the Country
As per the Health Ministry’s data, the active cases in the country now stand at 63,562. A total of 38 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, including 11 reconciled by Kerala. With this, the total number of deaths in the country stand at 531190.
Positivity and Recovery Rates in India
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.39%, while the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 5.1%, as per the Health Ministry. The active cases now comprise 0.14% of the total infections, and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.67%, the ministry said.
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Nationwide Vaccination Drive
Under the nationwide vaccination drive, a total of 220.66 crore doses have been administered so far. However, medical experts have warned that the new XBB1.16 variant is able to evade the immune system of people, and the upcoming four weeks are very crucial.
Expert’s Opinion on the Current Situation
Amidst this situation, the former director of AIIMS, Delhi, Dr. Randeep Guleria, has advised people not to panic. According to him, the majority of the infections are mild, and the rate of hospitalization hasn’t gone up either. “It’s not a panic-like situation yet,” Dr. Guleria told ANI.
Covid-19 Advisory Issued by the West Bengal Government
On 18 April, the West Bengal government issued a Covid-19 advisory, urging people to avoid mass gatherings, especially the elderly, children, pregnant women, and persons with co-morbidities. The advisory also urged people to frequently wash their hands and use alcohol-based sanitizers to kill the virus. For those who tested positive, Covid home isolation for a week is advised, and if the symptoms aggravate, they should report to a hospital or doctor immediately. The intake of antibiotics or cough syrups without medical advice is restricted in the advisory. A state helpline number, 14416, is also being issued.
Covid-19 Situation in Delhi
In Delhi, 1,537 fresh COVID-19 cases were seen on Tuesday, with a positivity rate of 26.54%, according to data shared by the city government’s health department. A recent survey by LocalCircles revealed that currently, 45% of Delhi-NCR households have one or more members in the family unwell. From 932 cases on March 30 to 4,976 on April 17, active coronavirus cases in Delhi have registered a jump of more than 430% in nearly three weeks, according to official data. LNJP Hospital’s Medical Director Suresh Kumar had cautioned on April 13 that coronavirus cases in the national capital will peak in the next couple of weeks.
Source: Mint
