Explained: Uttarakhand recorded 64% of its Covid-19 cases in a month; this is how

Even as a large number of cases are being reported daily in the state, people appear lax in following precautionary measures like wearing masks and social distancing at public places. The state had recorded its first Covid-19 positive case on March 15, when it had tested only 32 samples.

In the past six months, from March 15 onwards, the state has tested over 5.25 lakh samples and found 33,016 people infected with novel coronavirus, recording a positivity rate of 6.51 per cent — which is below the national positivity rate of 8.45 per cent. Over 22,077 of them have recovered, recording a recovery rate 66.87 per cent, which is again less than the national average recovery rate of 78.28 per cent.

The state has so far recorded 429 Covid-19 deaths.

An analysis of cases each month shows that 21,401 new cases were found in past one month i.e. from August 14 to September 14. In the same period, 2.79 lakh samples were tested, which was 53 per cent of the total tests done.

Also, 282 deaths occurred in this period, which is 65 per cent of the total deaths. Of the total 429 deaths reported across the state till Monday, 48 per cent deaths were from Dehradun, the temporary state capital.

Out of these total recovered cases, 66 per cent recoveries were recorded in the past one month.

Despite that, people from National Capital Region (NCR) and nearest states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar are approaching hoteliers for advanced bookings.

Secretary, Nainital Hotels Association, Ved Shah says he is receiving over 150 calls daily from NCR for bookings. Shah says that only a few hotels have started operation, adding that tourists are staying in unregistered guest houses.

Tourists are asking for bookings mostly in Dehradun, Nainital and Haridwar which are among the top four districts reporting highest number of active cases. Most preferred tourists destinations Mussoorie and Rishikesh are in Dehradun district and Haridwar is a prominent place of religious tourism where people arrive in large numbers during the ongoing Pitru Paksha to pay homage to the departed relatives.

Even the districts located at high altitudes, like Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Rudraprayag and Tehri Garhwal, too, have reported positive cases after the return of migrants in May. All the 13 districts in the state have active cases at present. Chamoli is the only district where no death has been reported.

To attract tourists, the state government has announced an incentive scheme providing discounts up to Rs 1,000 in accommodation bills.

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When asked about these figures, a Health department official said, “The virus is spreading and people have become careless in taking precautions and social distancing. Government can provide treatment and impose fines for violating social distancing rules, but precautions have to be taken by the people themselves.”

According to the data provided by the police state headquarters, a total of 4,765 FIRs were registered for violating lockdown norms and compounding fees of Rs 14.77 crore was recovered till September 14 across the state. Also, action was taken against 2.88 lakh people for not wearing masks at public places, 46,136 faced action for violating social distancing and 939 for violating quarantine rules.

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