Covid-19: India's active case tally increases again; Central sends high-level teams to eight states

After seven weeks, the number of active Covid-19 cases for the first time increased on Sunday by more than 1,200 in what is probably an early indication of a second surge in the epidemic following the Dussehra-Diwali-Chhath festivities.

The last time the number of active cases increased was on October 3 after which there was a steady decline in such numbers on each of the subsequent days.

But on Sunday with 45,209 new cases in the past 24 hours, the total number of active cases is now more than 4.40 lakh, which is 1,215 more than the number of active cases reported a day before.

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Last week top Health Ministry officials had warned that the consequences of the festivities, as well as Bihar polls, are yet to be seen on the Covid-19 numbers as the virus takes about two weeks to manifest.

“As was predicted when a large number of people were gathering in markets and public places without precautionary measures in the pre-festival season, the transmission is now manifesting as active cases,” public health specialist Oommen John from the George Institute, Delhi told DH.

“What is worrisome is the proportion of those needing hospitalisation and intensive care. The test to case proportions seem to a mismatch as for every case being tested, several others are missed, steadily contributing to the rapid transmission.”

The ministry once again sent teams to eight states, each of which witnessed a rising trend between the first and third week of November. In Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, there is a clear second peak of the epidemic whereas very clear rising curves are seen in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The remaining three states where central teams have been deployed are Punjab, Manipur and Chhattisgarh.

“The teams will visit the districts reporting a high number of Covid-19 cases and support the state efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing, infection prevention and control measures, and efficient clinical management of the positive cases,” the ministry said in a statement.

Close to 77% of the new cases and 76% of deaths reported in the last 24 hours are from 10 states with Delhi topping both the charts. India’s Covid-19 toll stands at 1,33,227, out of which 501 was added in the last 24 hours.