Dharwad: The sudden surge in covid-19 cases in Dharwad in the third iteration of the pandemic pandemic had distressed the officials in the district administration, particularly when cases rose alarmingly in the second week of January. However, with the authorities infusing even more zeal into the vaccination drive to ensure that all eligible citizens were fully vaccinated, coupled with the initiative to administer the booster dose to Covid warriors and elderly citizens, has helped check the spread of the infection. Authorities are hopeful of the covid curve flattening in the district within the next few days.
The Covid test positivity rate in Dharwad district hovered around the 0.1 to 0.3% range in the first week of January, but surged to double digits in the ensuing two weeks, reaching as high as 17.9% on January 16. While the graph followed an unsteady path till January 22, it continues its upward spiral in the last week of January. On January 25, Dharwad reported 1,511 new Covid cases, with positivity rate rising to 23%. But there has been a marked dip in the number of new cases being reported since January 31.
February began on an encouraging note for Dharwad, apropos of the Covid situation with the district reporting just 633 cases on the first two days of the month. The figure dropped further, with only 535 cases being reported on February 3, and 393 on the fourth. As on Friday, the active caseload in Dharwad district stood at 4,574. But even when the cases seemed to be surging nigh uncontrollably in the district, the ratio of the number of people recovering to those infected remained a bright spot, as was the marginal proportion of the infected patients that required hospitalization,
Experts, however, have warned people not to drop their guard, since abandonment of safety norms could result in the novel coronavirus spreading unchecked.
Dharwad deputy commissioner Nitesh Patil said that the surge in the number of cases could also be attributed to increased testing in the district. “On-campus classes have already started for students of classes one to nine. People must, however, remain cautious, at their workplace, and in all public places. Constant use of masks, hand sanitiser and avoiding crowded places will help flatten the Covid curve in Dharwad,” he said.
The Covid test positivity rate in Dharwad district hovered around the 0.1 to 0.3% range in the first week of January, but surged to double digits in the ensuing two weeks, reaching as high as 17.9% on January 16. While the graph followed an unsteady path till January 22, it continues its upward spiral in the last week of January. On January 25, Dharwad reported 1,511 new Covid cases, with positivity rate rising to 23%. But there has been a marked dip in the number of new cases being reported since January 31.
February began on an encouraging note for Dharwad, apropos of the Covid situation with the district reporting just 633 cases on the first two days of the month. The figure dropped further, with only 535 cases being reported on February 3, and 393 on the fourth. As on Friday, the active caseload in Dharwad district stood at 4,574. But even when the cases seemed to be surging nigh uncontrollably in the district, the ratio of the number of people recovering to those infected remained a bright spot, as was the marginal proportion of the infected patients that required hospitalization,
Experts, however, have warned people not to drop their guard, since abandonment of safety norms could result in the novel coronavirus spreading unchecked.
Dharwad deputy commissioner Nitesh Patil said that the surge in the number of cases could also be attributed to increased testing in the district. “On-campus classes have already started for students of classes one to nine. People must, however, remain cautious, at their workplace, and in all public places. Constant use of masks, hand sanitiser and avoiding crowded places will help flatten the Covid curve in Dharwad,” he said.
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