GB Nagar inches closer to lifting of partial curfew
OUT OF THE TOTAL ACTIVE CASES, 480 ARE UNDER HOME ISOLATION WHILE THE REST ARE ADMITTED TO COVID-DEDICATED FACILITIES
With 843 active cases on Wednesday, Gautam Budh Nagar is inching closer to lifting of the partial curfew imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. As per the Uttar Pradesh government’s recent order, partial corona curfew is to stay in district with over 600 active cases. When the order was announced on May 30, GB Nagar had 1,184 active cases.
However, three days later, 341 patients have recovered from Covid-19, taking the active caseload to 843. On Wednesday, the district reported 79 new cases while 183 patients recovered, according to the state’s daily health bulletin.
Almost a week earlier, on May 28, active cases were 2,398 and thus in the past six days, 1551 patients have recovered from the viral infection.
As per officials, out of the total active cases, 480 are under home isolation while the remaining 363 are admitted to Covid-dedicated medical facilities in the district.
“Since last week, around 50 home isolated patients on an average are getting cured every day. The trained operators at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) are making calls to all these patients at least three times a day, to know their complaints and other details,” said Dr Lalit Kumar, district’s additional chief medical officer who is also the nodal officer for the home isolation.
He further said that the calls being received at the command centre have reduced in the past 15 days as well. “Till two weeks ago, we were getting over 5,000 calls a day. Most of the queries were regarding beds, oxygen and medicines like remdesivir and tocilizumab. However, now, the calls have reduced to about 500 a day and the queries are mostly about post-covid complications and vaccination centres,” said Kumar.
On being asked whether GB Nagar can expect to have lower than 600 active cases in the next 2-3 days, district magistrate Suhas LY said, “That is yet to be seen, but we are hopeful that the downward trend of active cases will continue. Surveillance, containment and vaccination are the vital steps taken by the district health department that is helping control the spread of Covid-19.”
However, medical experts feel that while the active cases going down may end up lifting of restrictions, people need to keep following proper Covid protocols.
“The data provided by the government can often be misleading and we cannot completely rely on it. While data may say that active cases are down, the reality on the ground is very different. No matter whether the restrictions are lifted or not, we need to keep following Covid protocols like sanitisation and social distancing,” said Dr NK Sharma, president, Indian Medical Association (Noida chapter).