Avg weekly cases up in Thane during festival

THANE: A marginal increase in cases within the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) jurisdiction has been noted during the festive season. The average weekly cases have swollen to 58 per day compared to 46 average weekly cases in mid-August when the relaxations were announced.

In August, the active cases were between 420 and 490 but in September, they have increased to between 540 and 645. “The two weeks post-Ganesh Chaturthi are crucial. We will be keeping a close watch on the positivity rate during this period. Till now, we were mostly at less than 2.5% positivity rate, the lowest in the second wave as well as in the first wave. If it goes beyond 3% or 4%, we need to take prompt measures and declare it a major spike in cases,” said Vipin Sharma, TMC commissioner.

In the first week after lockdown relaxations on August 15, the weekly average was 46. By the last week of August it increased to 54.2 and 62.75 in the week before Ganesh Chaturthi festivities began. Last week, the weekly average continued to be at 58.

In the last few days, the number of tests conducted within the city has also increased to 3,500 and even beyond 4,000. The overall active cases have also increased to more than 600 daily. Among these, around 8.5% are in ICU, 6.2% on ventilator support and 4.9% serious or moderate patients admitted to Dedicated Covid Care facilities.

“Although the number of deaths within the city is hardly one in a week, there are more than 100 who are in ICU or on ventilators,” said a medical officer from TMC.