DOUBLING RATE WORSENS IN PUNJAB

Rate of number of cases getting twofold was 34 days on June 1

The recent spate of Covid-19 cases in Punjab has worsened the doubling rate of infection to 18 days . This is a cause of worry.

CHANDIGARH : The recent spate of Covid-19 cases in Punjab has led to a drastic slip in the doubling rate of infection to almost by half from 34 days on June 1 to 18 days on June 22.

Since the beginning of this month, as many as 1,934 fresh cases of infection were reported in the state, taking the total tally from 2,301 on June 1 to 4,235 on June 22.

As per the daily Covid-19 analysis report prepared by the state health department, Punjab’s doubling rate is worse than Maharashtra, one of the worst-hit states, where cases are now doubling in 23.8 days. The national doubling rate is 19.5 days.

However, the state’s rate is better than neighbouring Haryana and the national capital where cases are now getting two-fold in 13.6 and 12.8 days.

Doubling rate is the number of days it takes for the cases to get twofold based on the growth rate of last seven days.

Among all the districts, Jalandhar, which has the second highest number of infections in the state, has the fastest doubling rate where cases are getting twofold in just 10 days. The Ludhiana district, with the third highest number of cases, is second in terms of doubling rate at 11.9 days.

In the week preceding June 22, maximum 217 new cases were detected in the Jalandhar district followed by 194 in Ludhiana and 153 in Amritsar.

The Amritsar district, which has the highest number of cases,

has a doubling rate of 22.4 days followed by Mohali (21.6), Patiala (20.6), Pathankot (18.7), Barnala (14.8), Sangrur (14.5), Kapurthala (13.5), Ferozepur (13.5) and Fazilka (12). SBS Nagar, which was declared the state’s first Covid-19 hotspot, now has the slowest doubling rate of 118.9 days.

‘CASES INCREASING AT AN IDENTICAL PACE’

Experts say the figures indicate that cases are increasing in most of the districts now almost at an identical pace.

But the state health authorities attribute the increase in cases to increase in testing. “Ramping up of the testing capacity and a rigorous contact tracing of patients are the reason behind increase in cases. Besides, people are not following social-distancing norms,” said Punjab Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar.

The data shows that the state’s testing per million on June 21 was 7,926, ahead of Karnataka (7,492),

Haryana (7,332) and Maharashtra (6,243). India’s testing per million is 5,054.

From June 1 to June 21, Punjab was next only to West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in terms of increasing the testing capacity, shows the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data.

SPIKE IN CASES IN JALANDHAR’S RURAL AFTER CURBS RELAXED

The number of Covid-19 cases has seen a sharp rise in the rural areas of Jalandhar district after the state government announced relaxations in the curfew on May 18. The health department’s figures

reveal that of a total of 127 positive cases of the disease in the rural areas of the district so far, 82 were reported in the past four weeks only.

The district recorded 671 positive cases, including 19 deaths, till Thursday. The pandemic outbreak was witnessed in the Jalandhar city that also topped the tally of positive cases across Punjab during nearly two months of the curfew starting March 23.

In March and April, only eight persons tested positive in the district’s rural belt, even as the Jalandhar city recorded more than 50 cases.

(Inputs by Jatinder Mahal)