With over 10k cases and 226 deaths, July sees Vid racing towards peak

Nagpur: With 10,323 new patients and 229 deaths, July no doubt has been the worst month so far for Vidarbha region for Covid-19 scenario. The month accounts for 69% of total Covid-19 cases and 60% deaths since the pandemic reached here.
According to experts, it could just be the beginning of projected peak in Vidarbha. They also suggested that administration will not go for further lockdown as the prime target is now shifted from reducing cases to avoiding deaths.
It has been seen from the examples of Delhi, Mumbai and Akola (city) that the spread of Covid-19 comes under control only after the graph reaches a particular level. As per the projections by Department of Health Services, Vidarbha’s peak is at around 76,000 cases.
“We must be ready for the peak now. As per earlier experience worldwide and also in India, cases start reducing once the peak is achieved. The peak will now break the chain of the Covid-19 and no lockdown or further restrictions are needed,” said an HOD in one of the GMCs in Nagpur where Covid-19 patients are being treated.
A senior official from the state department of health services told TOI the government authorities are also expecting the peak in the mid- or third week of August.
“Prime focus of our efforts is on reducing deaths now. Graph of cases will definitely go up as we are testing more people. But there is no need to worry as our recovery rate is good,” said the official.
Even guardian minister of Nagpur Dr Nitin Raut has also ruled out the possibility of lockdown in Nagpur district in spite of ongoing spike. “No lockdown has been proposed. Chances of any future lockdown is rare as it is not the solution,” Raut said in a meeting with industrialists on Friday.
Authorities have appealed citizens to come forward and get themselves tested in large numbers. “More tests may increase number of patients but as most of them will be asymptomatic, we can expect speedy recovery of such patients. If reported early, we can avoid more deaths,” the official said.
In other parts of Vidarbha, respective district collectors will be easing the lockdown from August 1. In Washim, shops will remain open from 10 am to 5 pm. In Akola, the odd-even rule for shops has been revoked from August 1. All shops will now remain open from 9 am to 7 pm Monday to Saturday. The city will observe complete lockdown only on Sundays.
In Amravati, too, the district collector has decided to observe lockdown only on Saturdays and Sundays. Yavatmal was the only exception where the district collector ordered an indefinite extension of lockdown.
As far as Nagpur division is concerned, cases are limited in Gondia, Bhandara and Gadchiroli. These three districts are not having any type of lockdown. Chandrapur surpassed the mark of 500 cases on Friday but here too no fresh lockdown has been announced.