Maharashtra: Covid situation in Ahmednagar improves

NASHIK: The Covid-19 situation in the Ahmednagar district has started improving over the past week. Last month, 700-800 cases were being reported daily, which have now dropped to 150-200 daily. The Covid cases in the hotspot talukas like Sangamner and Parner are also dropping.
More than 11,000 citizens had tested positive last month and most of them were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.The positivity rate, which was over 5% a month back, has now dropped to less than 1.9%. The number of active cases in the past one month has reduced from over 4,800 to around 2,300. Even the number of critical patients has reduced to 328, which was over 700 a month ago.
District collector Rajendra Bhosale told TOI that even though the Covid scenario in the district has started improving, the administration will not lower its guard since there is a prediction of another wave and there are still active cases across the district.
“For over a month now we have taken a series of measures to stop the spread of the infection. These measures have now started yielding results,” added Bhosale.
The administration had imposed strict restrictions in villages in various talukas. In these villages, all non-essential shops were shut for over a week and unnecessary movement of people was also restricted.
“These restrictions were imposed in over 69 villages in different phases and the local police kept a strict vigil to prevent unnecessary movement of the locals in and outside the villages. We have also created containment zones in areas with a high number of Covid cases,” added Bhosale.
The administration conducted over 15,000 Covid tests daily, which was one of the highest in the state. “The test reports were made available to the local health authorities within 24 hours so that the people who tested positive could be isolated and treated early,” the district officials added.
Radhakrishna Game, the Nashik divisional commissioner, has been reviewing the Covid situation in the district at regular intervals and guiding the local administration in dealing with the issue.
District civil surgeons Dr Sunil Pokharna and Dr Sandip Sangle said that the Covid situation in the district, particularly in the hotspot talukas like Sangamner, Parner etc has improved.
“The taluka health officials have been asked to continue with aggressive testing as the cases need to come down further,” said the duo.