COIMBATORE: Health Department officials indicate that the district is mired in the pandemic as its current Covid-19 positivity rate rises to 8.39 per cent in the recent days as against 6.12 per cent until July 24.
The data compiled by the District Health Department shows that the number of people testing Covid-19 positive was higher in July with 4,109 people testing positive for the virus infection. In June, the number stayed at 392 people and just three people in May.
According to health officials, the sudden surge in the positivity rate is attributed to the rise in fresh cases from hotspots. The district started witnessing a surge in Covid-19 cases from June 19. Since the past few days, the district is reporting at least 150 to 300 fresh cases daily, which pushed the caseload to over 5,000-mark.
An official said, “Till the end of July, a total of 2,454 people who tested positive came to Coimbatore from other districts or states, while 2,008 people cropped up from the hotspots.” With the virulence being dynamic, the District Health Department has left with the only choice of increasing the bed tally.
“The asymptomatic patients would be accommodated in the Covid Care Centres (CCC) established in their proximity, while the symptomatic ones would be admitted to the government or private facility,” said a higher official, hinting indirectly that the cases are on the rise.
The official said 1,200 beds in government facilities 1,600 beds in private hospitals are earmarked for Covid patients, excluding Covid Care Centres with 1,500 beds. However, the recovery rate of Coimbatore is 66.32 per cent as on Sunday, with 3,469 patients discharged from the treatment.