'Overall COVID-19 situation stabilizing, Cases Dipping Faster Than First Wave': Centre

The Centre on Saturday said that the rate of the present decline of COVID-19 cases is faster than was the case in the first wave, and the entire COVID-19 crisis is stabilizing.

The health ministry declared that the number of active cases in the country has reduced and the tally of recovered patients has notched up significantly. Friday reported a total of 36.73 lakh active cases leading to a net decline of 31,091 from the previous day. The same day registered 3.26 lakh new cases.

The contradictory nature of the current scenario can be observed from the marginal decline in overall positivity rate to 19.8% in this week while 316 districts still project a hike in the case positivity.

The ministry's hope stems from the fact that the number of high-burden states with over one lakh cases has lessened to 11 from 12 earlier this week, as active cases in Haryana have fallen below this figure. In addition, many of the states with a heavy load, such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh, are seeing a gradual decline in new cases.

"Overall COVID-19 situation is stabilizing to an extent. In some states it is a clear pattern, in some, there is still a concern and some states are even showing an increase in cases. We have a mixed picture in front of us but overall the situation is stabilizing. We hope and we will work towards ensuring further stabilization," NITI Aayog member-health Dr V K Paul said reported The Times of India.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 infections have now spread to tier two and three areas, necessitating an immediate emphasis on smaller urban and urban centres, as well as Covid management initiatives in rural India." The country has managed it to a large extent, cases recovered and very, fortunately, the case fatality rate has been stable," said Dr Paul and highlighting measures of establishing testing and hospital infrastructure in the first phase of the pandemic.

However, as most states and all major cities have discovered, the infrastructure improvement to which the Centre spoke was put to the test and found to be insufficient in response to the influx of Covid patients needing oxygen and ICU beds. Thousands of pleas for help on social media shed light on the urgency of commissioning and transporting Oxygen." Much more can be done, should be done and will be done," Dr Paul said.

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