Record 890 new cases push positivity rate to 23% in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: Daily Covid-19 positivity rate has been above 20% in the city since the last few weeks, a fact highlighted by the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Monday — a day Chandigarh recorded the highest-ever cases of 890 since the pandemic broke out last year, pushing the positivity rate to 23%.
The city’s daily average growth of Covid cases is more than that of Maharashtra and Punjab, while it is close to Delhi.
A total of 22 states, including Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, are showing a rise in the number of daily cases.
As of May 2, the national average total positivity rate was 21.3%, while it was 21.2% in the city. Tests per million per day are 3,518, while the national average is 1,111.4. “As cases will rise, mortality is expected to increase. This can only be reduced when there is timely tracing, testing and treatment,” said a public health expert.
In last three days, 1,750 cases, including 18 deaths, were reported. As many as 2,600 tests on an average were conducted on these three days. “Tests have to be enhanced to control the surge. We have many patients who have been admitted in the city from Delhi and NCR area. This adds more pressure to city’s hospitals and opens possibility of easy transmission as these patients are accompanied by their relatives,” said a doctor in PGI.
11 deaths take toll to 507
The city reported 11 Covid-19 deaths on Monday, increasing the toll to 507. The youngest victim was a 35-year-old man from Faidan and the eldest was an 87-year-old man from Sector 35. A total of 528 patients were discharged on Monday, taking the recovery count to 36,746. The total cases are are 45,196, with 7,943 active.