MUMBAI: Dr. Balram Bhargava, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research, said no mutant strains were responsible for the surge in Maharashtra. He blamed Covid-inappropriate behavior and communities for ascension.
Union Health Minister Rajesh Bhushan said the number of active cases in Maharashtra had increased from 36,917 on February 11 to 1,00,240 on March 11, an increase of 172%. Bhushan contrasted it with the example of Kerala, which reduced the number of active cases from 64,607 on February 11 to 35,715 on March 11.
Ernakulam in Kerala and Bengaluru (urban) in Karnataka are the only two counties outside the state in the top 10. “The increase is related to reduced testing, tracking and tracing, as well as Covid-inappropriate behavior and large communities. There is also a hypothesis that reopening of commuter trains and weddings caused an increase, “Bhargava said.
The center also issued a warning for Delhi and its neighborhood, saying the positivity rate has increased in the Capital and NCR regions such as Gurgaon and Faridabad, as well as in Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad.
According to Central, the Pune district had the highest active cases (18,474), followed by Nagpur (12,724) and Thane (10,460). Mumbai was in fourth place (9,973). Amravati from the Vidarbha region and Aurangabad from Marathwada were among the top 10, as were Jalgaon and Nashik from northern Maharashtra. “The distribution of active cases shows that almost every corner of the state, from Vidarbha, Marathwada to Konkan and western Maharashtra, is increasing,” said a state official.
Two districts, Dhule and Buldhana, had daily positivity of 31% and 30%, respectively, while five, including Nashik (26%), Pune (26%), Jalna (22%), and Nagpur (20%), shot past the state average. Seven districts, including three from Marathwada and two from Vidarbha, have a daily positivity rate between 15% and 18%. The state’s positivity has tripled since January. Among all major cities, Mumbai appears to be an outlier with a daily positivity between 5 and 7%.
Dr. Subhash Salunkhe, a member of the state advisory committee, said the state will continue to see a surge in the coming weeks. “Whatever measures have been taken, it will take at least a few weeks for them to bear fruit. Until then, we need to test and track appropriately, ”he said. A state official said Wednesday that over 97,000 tests were performed, one of the highest numbers in a single day in the past month. However, it is evident that some districts – Buldhana, Dhule, for example – are not testing much. Buldhana performed 580 tests on March 9, while Dhule performed fewer than 200.
