On March 5, the PMC registered 830 new infections and five deaths. The Covid-19 toll is now at 4,881, while the active case count stands at 6,160. (File Photo)
Even as active cases are on the rise in Pimpri-Chinchwad, COVID-19 patients seem to be favouring home isolation despite the fact that there are adequate vacant beds available in civic and private hospitals. As many as 70 per cent of COVID-19 patients in Pimpri-Chinchwad are in home isolation.
PCMC Additional Health chief Dr Pavan Salve on Sunday said that by Saturday, Pimpri-Chinchwad had 4616 active cases. “Of these 1,265 are admitted to hospitals and 3,350 are in home isolation,” he said.
Patients with mild symptoms are allowed home isolation. And those with severe symptoms are admitted to hospital. “However, co-morbid citizens, even if they have mild symptoms, are urged to get admitted to hospitals as a precautionary measure,” Dr Salve said.
He said there are adequate beds available in PCMC hospitals as well in private hospitals. “Private hospitals which had fewer patients last month have started admitting COVID patients. As of now, we have no shortage of beds for COVID-19 patients. We are urging patients even those with mild symptoms to get admitted to hospitals but they are favouring home isolation,” he said.
After a dip, which started in November and lasted till the first week of February, COVID-19 positive cases have been on the rise since then. The rise has been maximum from February 27 to March 6 when over 3000 positive cases were detected. “In the entire January, we had 3,697 positive cases. But in the last 7-8 days, the cases have risen rapidly,” said Dr Salve.
With rise in COVID cases, the positivity rate has also gone up. “The positive rate in November had gone down to 7 per cent. Now it is between 18-20 per cent,” said Dr Salve. The PCMC, which till over a week back was conducting 1,800-2,000 tests daily has now increased the tests to 2,500 per day. On Saturday, 573 positive cases were registered, which put the positive rate at more than 20 per cent, officials said.
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Meanwhile, the PCMC health department has urged private hospitals to keep it updated about the details of TB patients undergoing treatment or had undergone treatment with it. “If a TB patient is found in hospital in the city, it is mandatory to provide information to the government. Private hospitals, pathology labs, radiologists should register the names of TB patients who come to them and provide the information to the civic body. If they don’t do so, a criminal complaint will be lodged against them,” said Dr Salve.