For the spike, officials attribute to “increased movement” of people after easing of lockdown from June 1 and “higher number of sample testing” as reasons, among others. (PTI photo)

Even as the number of covid-19 cases in Gurugram, also known as millennium city, surpassed the 4,000-mark last week, deputy commissioner and district magistrate Amit Khatri is confident of tackling the spike in corornavirus cases in the city.

The city, which had just 57 positive cases in early March, has now 4,427 covid-19 cases and 64 fatalities due to coronavirus infection as of June 21. During last week, Gurugram had reported more than 100 cases each day. In fact, the coronavirus tally in the district has gone up by 1,133 last week alone, according to the data from Gurgaon health department.

For the spike, officials attribute to “increased movement” of people after easing of lockdown from June 1 and “higher number of sample testing” as reasons, among others.

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“I personally feel this is as per the national trend,” said Amit Khatri, deputy commissioner and district magistrate, Gurugram. The reasons could be varied though; closeness to places where the virus outbreak has already happened and increased in movements and more testing, he said, as reported by The Indian Express.

Khatri said the district administration is tracing contacts of all the positive cases. “We are catching all the cases on the routes the infection has travelled,” he said.

He said the district is “well prepared” and assured of all measures being taken to extend treatment to all covid-19 patients in the city.

According to the Gurugram health department, as of now, the city has 4,314 covid-19 beds, 625 beds with ICU facilities and 325 beds with ICU and ventilator facilities ready for use.

Kharti said there was no issue of preparedness. “Be it basic medical stocks, masks, number of bed or infrastructure.” The city’s health infrastructure is in good shape to handle the outbreak. He said Gurugram is a medical tourism hub so “we are blessed with good medical facilities,” be it private or government. “There are enough manpower and adequate financial support to tackle the pandemic,” Khatri said, as reported by The Indian Express.

Khatri said that we, in fact, have made provision for expansion of facilities and tied up with neighbouring districts where the number of cases is low. He said the district administration has also roped in hotels for isolation centres. “We have adequate beds in all three categories—be it covid beds, ICUs or ventilators,” he added.

Khatri said the administration is doing proper mapping and enforcement of containment zones. It has also increased screening in both containment zones and buffer zones. Along with random sampling, the city has also increased testing.

The city has around 65% of covid-19 patients placed under home quarantine. “We have developed our own backend systems for reaching out such people (home isolation) on a regular basis,” said Kharti. If they need any medical support, “we aim to provide that also,” he said. Regarding another lockdown in the city, Kharti said that the district administration is adopting a “dynamic response” as per the situation.