Weekly Covid positivity rate 28% in Pune, far higher than state avg of 7.4%

Right from the beginning of the pandemic, Pune, Mumbai and Thane have been vulnerable to several respiratory illnesses, including Covid-19, say experts. “We have seen a large number of cases during the H1N1 virus (swine flu epidemic) in Pune and I am not surprised to see high numbers in the district. There are also epidemiological factors to be considered apart from the typical population dynamics. The circulation of the virus has not really gone down to the desired level – as compared to single digit cases in places like Vidarbha,” Dr Subhash Salunkhe, a member of the Indian Council of Medical Research taskforce on Covid, told The Indian Express. This is going to be endemic and it is unlikely that we reach a zero number of cases, hence Covid-appropriate precautionary measures need to be taken, Dr Salunkhe added.

As on July 13, there are 16,922 Covid patients in Maharashtra. Of these, 6,222 are in Pune, followed by 3,006 in Mumbai, 1,700 in Thane and 922 in Nagpur. According to the report, there are 230 patients with severe symptoms. There are 135 patients admitted to intensive care units and of these, 107 require oxygen support.

Districts like Aurangabad, Akola, Amravati, Washim, Jalna, Solapur, Satara and Nagpur are showing a weekly Covid positivity rate that is higher than the state average. In Aurangabad, the Covid positivity rate has climbed to 21 per cent in the week ending July 13, as against 4 per cent in the June 16-22 period. Amravati and Akola also have a weekly Covid positivity rate of more than 15 per cent.

Over 1.35 cr yet to take Covishield second dose, more than 30.98 lakh need second Covaxin dose

Though the second phase of the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ vaccination programme, from June 1-July 31, has commenced, state health authorities admit that so far, only 20 lakh doses have been administered. This is against the 1 crore doses that were administered during the first phase of the programme that had commenced in December last year. Dr Sachin Desai, Maharashtra immunization officer, said that as part of the campaign, they were promoting house to house visits and our field Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are reaching out to maximum people.

While 92 per cent of beneficiaries in the 18+ age group have got the first shot of the Covid vaccine, according to the state health department report, 1.35 crore beneficiaries have to get a second dose of Covishield vaccine while 30.98 lakh need the second Covaxin dose. In the 15-18 years’ age group, more than 65 per cent beneficiaries have got the first shot of the Covid vaccine while 64 per cent have got the first dose in the 12-14 years’ age group.

Pune tops the charts and there are 12.97 lakh who need to take the second dose of Covishield while 2.24 lakh need a second shot of Covaxin. So far, more than 40 lakh precautionary doses of the Covid vaccine have been administered, state health department officials have said.