COURTESY HT SEPT 21

Ggm sees over 5,600 cases in 3 weeks; but mortality rate slips
Despite the increase in number of cases, the district has seen only 18 deaths in this month so far

A health worker collects a swab sample from a man for an RT-PCR test at Old Civil Hospital near MCG office in Gurugram. On Sunday, the district reported 405 new cases. Rahul Grover/ht photo

Prayag Arora-Desai

prayag.desai@htlive.com

Gurugram : In just three weeks of September, Gurugram recorded 5,686 new cases of the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease, exceeding August’s total reported caseload of 2,952, and June’s 4,716 cases, the highest monthly aggregate so far, which health department officials regard as the period of Gurugram’s first peak in infections.

On Sunday, the district reported 405 new cases. Health department officials and experts have reiterated caution against non-essential public movement and emphasised on the importance of maintaining hand hygiene.

As per the health department’s data, Gurugram saw a 25% increase in the number of active Covid-19 cases over the past week, during which it also registered an average of 369 new positive cases each day (up from 275 new cases each day the week prior).

Gurugram currently has 2,793 active patients, up from 2,232 a week ago, on September 13. The district’s test-positivity rate (TPR) over the past week remained consistently above the World Health Organisation’s recommended benchmark, ranging between 10 and 13%.

The WHO recommends achieving a daily TPR of 5% before easing restrictions on public mobility. This is up slightly from a positivity rate of between 9 and 11% observed the week prior. Even with the increase in cases, though, mortality rate has continued to drop, resting at 0.9%, down from 0.97% a week ago.

Despite having accumulated over 5,000 new cases so far this month, the district has seen only 18 deaths in the three weeks of September. In June, which saw the highest new cases in a month so far, the number of Covid deaths was much higher, at 94.

The district recorded one new death due to Covid-19 on Sunday, taking the total toll to 160. A week ago, the death toll stood at 147.

“This is a result of different factors. For one, fewer active cases in a younger age bracket have symptoms, and are less prone to worsening of symptoms. Second is that home isolation is working well for such patients. The cases we are seeing are also milder in nature, but why that is, will require further inquiry,” said Dr Jai Prakash Sharma, the health department’s district surveillance officer for Gurugram.

The district’s total tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 17,828, up from 15,249 a week ago.

This is equal to an average of 2,579 new cases in seven days, the highest weekly aggregate since the outbreak began in March. The daily growth rate in new positives, as of September 13, was 2.3%, and has remained above 2% for at least three weeks now. This is also reflected in the sharp contraction of Gurugram’s doubling rate, which stands at 44 days as of September 13. For comparison, in the last week of August, the doubling rate was around 81 days