Maharashtra: Covid spike in Ahmednagar, but critical patients fewer

NASHIK: The spike in Covid cases in Ahmednagar district notwithstanding, the number of critical patients is still low, said district collector Rajendra Bhosale.
Currently, the district has 5,687 active Covid patients — all in mandatory institutional quarantine. Of them, only 3.6% are in the ICUs and about 7.5% are on medical oxygen-support (however, not in ICUs).The district’s positivity rate and fatality rates are 5.5% and 2.06%, respectively. The administration is conducting around 15,000 daily Covid tests.
Bhosale told TOI the administration is continuing with its policy — started during the second wave of the pandemic — of mandatory institutional quarantine of even the asymptomatic and or mildly symptomatic Covid patients.
“The current spread of the infection is due to overcrowding at social events like weddings, funerals, etc. Even some of the restaurants are allowing more diners than the number stipulated. We have started cracking the whip on such violators,” said Bhosale.
“Recently, we registered a case, for overcrowding, against the bride, the groom, their parents as well as the owner of the wedding venue in the Shevgaon taluka. The venue was also sealed,” he added.
The five talukas of Sangamner, Parner, Pathardi, Shevgoan and Shrigonda are the hotspots in the district. A bulk of the positive cases in the district are being reported from these talukas.
Dr Prakash Lalge, the taluka health officer of Parner, said more than 80% of the patients in the taluka are those who are not vaccinated yet. “Patients who have contracted the infection despite vaccination are either asymptomatic or are mildly symptomatic,” he said.
So far, over 11.4 lakh beneficiaries, including healthcare and frontline workers, have been vaccinated in Ahmednagar.
“A large section of the beneficiaries is yet to be vaccinated in the district and the administration’s priority is to vaccinate as many beneficiaries as possible before the third wave hits,” added the district collector.
Meanwhile, some of Ahmednagar’s neighouring districts like Nashik and Beed are on an alert following the rise in the number of cases in Ahmednagar.
Beed Zilla Parishad CEO Ajit Kumbhar said the Asthi, Patoda and Shirur talukas share border with Ahmednagar.
“We have decided that from early next week, the health authorities of these talukas will test people coming in from Ahmednagar for Covid. This is essential since cases are rising in Ahmednagar and there is a movement of people between the two districts,” said Kumbhar.
Nashik district civil surgeon Dr Ashok Thorat too said the district health authorities are closely monitoring the Covid situation in the Sinnar taluka of the district that borders Ahmednagar. “We are extremely vigilant since there is a constant movement of people between Nashik and Ahmednagar on a daily basis,” said Thorat.