Active Covid-19 cases rise first time after 7 weeks with 45k new cases

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 an increase in the number of active cases was reported on October 3, after which there was a steady decline in such numbers on each of the subsequent days.

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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.

Last week top health ministry officials had warned the consequences of the festivities, as well as Bihar poll, was 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.