Cases surge to 615; first 300 took 63 days, latest 22 days

Nagpur: The district recorded 30 new positive cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 615. The latest 105 cases were registered in just five days, the fastest century in last 85 days since the district registered the first case. The figures indicate cases are on the rise, probably due to easing of lockdown norms and entry of persons from other districts and states in last 13 or more days.
The district registered first 105 cases in 45 days.The next 510 cases have come in 40 days. There were only two deaths from the district on April 5 and 29. Nine deaths were registered in the last 30 days, between May 5 and 30.
Three patients from Chandrapur, Amravati and Sagar in Madhya Pradesh (MP) were admitted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). All three were brought in serious condition and GMCH doctors say they are critical. They tested positive after being admitted here, so they will be counted in the district’s Covid tally.
The central and state government had expected peak of Covid-19 between May 15 and 31, but experts have clarified full lockdown slowed the spread.
Municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told TOI, “The government had projected cases to prepare facilities, based on trend of cases and experience of epidemic in foreign countries. The peak was prevented due to some strategies of central, and state governments.”
The central government’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) has also credited lower mortality and cases to Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) innovative measures.
On solutions to stop increasing cases here onwards, NMC additional chief medical officer Dr Praveen Gantawar said, “NMC is ready with its plan and it is being implemented. We have continued tracing contacts of positive persons, testing them and giving treatment to positive cases to prevent mortality and spread. We are ensuring effective containment zone planning to curb spread within zones, and to other areas. But cooperation from people is also very important. Containment zones should not be considered as jail, but is for betterment of people residing in the zone and entire city.”
Gantawar also said NMC was testing high-risk persons like pregnant women, SARI, COPD etc.
The district had registered 68 and 38 cases on May 6 and 7 respectively, which was due to NMC’s mass quarantine model and testing. After this, the cases fell below 15 per day, except for two days. However, in five of the last six days, over 20 cases have been reported. Alarmingly, cases are coming from different localities of the city.
The number of containment zones has increased to 40, of which 29 are still being enforced while 11 were denotified. Five more areas are likely to be notified as containment zones.
Another worry is the two congested areas — Naik Talao-Bangladesh in East Nagpur and Gaddigodam in West Nagpur — which have become the hotspots in last 15 days.
NMC succeeded in ending chains at Satranjipura by detecting patients and giving treatment, and exempted around 75% area from containment zone. Alarmingly, Shanti Nagar and Bajaj Nagar containment zones were denotified, but again witnessed cases in last two days.
Nagpur Rural had registered only two cases, both with Delhi footprints in April. Now, the number of cases from rural areas have increased to 35, most of which have come from other parts of the state. These cases too were detected due to proactive measures of the administration.