Punjab has again begun seeing an uptrend inCovid-19 cases and has recorded a jump in infection rate. if the projectionsare correct, the caseload may rise by 300% by the end of November.
“After the Dussehra and Diwali festivities,there is a mild surge (in new cases). But this can’t be generalised for thewhole country. Some States are reporting mild increase in new cases, but thetrend isn’t the same everywhere.
“Currently, it is too early to say how muchand when the third wave surge will occur,” said Jayesh Lele, Secretary General,Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Covid-19 cases in Punjab started to risepost-Diwali -- with the state registering a growth of 4.2% on November 8 -- andkept on increasing for five consecutive days, touching 10.3% on November 13.Punjab is among six states in India currently witnessing a daily growth rate ofmore than 5%.
Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir,Ladakh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are the other states/UT where the pandemicsituation has deteriorated.
Dr Rakesh Kumar Gupta, president of StrategicInstitute for Public Health Education and Research (SIPHER) attributedthe rise in cases to the opening up of activities during the fes tiveseason and people not taking required precautions. He urged the healthauthorities to ensure that people follow Covid appropriate behaviour sothat the pandemic is kept under control.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh onOctober 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassedthe one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of twocrore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.