Five deaths, 213 fresh cases reported on Sunday
The number of novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) patients in Uttarakhand mounted to 68215 on Sunday with the state health department reporting 213 fresh cases of the disease. The department also reported deaths of five patients of Covid-19 on the day which increased the death toll to 1107 in the state. The authorities discharged 218 patients from different hospitals on the day following their recovery from the disease. A total of 61950 patients have so far recovered from the disease and the recovery percentage is at 90.82 percent.
Three patients of the disease were reported dead at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh on Sunday. One patient each succumbed to death at Himalayan hospital, Dehradun and Ujala hospital Kashipur on the day.
The health department reported 80 patients of the disease from Dehradun, 38 from Udham Singh Nagar, 36 from Nainital, 35 from Pauri, nine from Haridwar, eight from Uttarkashi, three from Pithoragarh, two from Almora and one each from Bageshwar and Chamoli. No case of the disease was reported from Rudraprayag, Tehri and Champawat on the day. Uttarakhand now has 4565 active patients of the disease. Dehradun district with 1114 active cases is at top of table while with 524 active cases Pauri is now on second position. Haridwar has 489, Nainital 441, Chamoli 376, Udham Singh Nagar 310, Tehri 263, Pithoragarh 233, Almora 217, Rudraprayag 215, Uttarkashi 161 and Bageshwar 134 active cases of the disease. With 88 active cases of Covid-19, Champawat is now at the bottom of the table.
Cause of concern: Sample testing slows down, IR increases
The week ending November 14 in Uttarakhand marked the lowest number of tests of Covid-19 as compared to the last five weeks. However the cause of worry is the fact that the infection rate (IR) was reported highest in the week that has just ended as compared to the last five weeks in the state. The data released by the Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation, shows that only 72173 tests were conducted during the period November 8 to 14. In the preceding week, 76777 tests were conducted. In the week ending November 14 (which is the 35th week since the first case of the disease was reported in the state on March 15) 2966 positive cases of the disease were reported. The infection rate (IR) which is obtained by dividing the positive cases by the total samples tested was 4.11 percent for the week ending November 14. The IR in the 34th week was 3.53 percent while it was 2.85 and 2.95 percent in the previous two weeks (33rd and 32nd week). The founder of SDC, Anoop Nautiyal said that with upcoming winters and ongoing festival season, the health department should focus on increased testing in the state.
Monday, 16 November 2020 | PNS | Dehradun
