Six Covid deaths an hour in Haryana

At least six Covid-19 patients are dying every hour in Haryana, making it the deadliest May in the state. The state recorded one-third of its total coronavirus fatalities in the first 11 days of this month with 1,694 patients succumbing to the virus between May 1 and 11, and the daily case count continuing to remain above 12,000.

Even as there are concerns about increasing transmission rate in rural areas, state health-cum-home minister Anil Vij, on Wednesday, said 62 per cent of their Covid-19 patients are from urban areas while 38 per cent are from villages, according to a survey conducted by the health department.

“It is a pandemic that is spreading globally. This propaganda that it is spreading fast in rural areas is not supported by facts. We have got a survey conducted in which it was found that 62 per cent of the Covid-19 patients who are admitted in hospitals are from urban areas while 38 per cent are from rural areas. Yet, instructions have been issued to impose thikri pehras in villages to curtail virus transmission in rural areas. We are also opening Covid care centres in those villages that are emerging as hotspots or have a high density of population. Be it urban or rural areas, our government is keeping a close watch,” Vij said.

Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan has ordered Deputy Commissioners to deploy thikri pehras (patrolling by adults in villages) under the provisions of the Punjab Village and Small Towns Patrol Act, 1918, in the next 24 hours to ensure that people follow the Covid rules.

Analysis of the state’s daily Covid-19 bulletin shows that the virus claimed 4,216 lives till April 30. However, the fatalities rose to 5,910 on May 11. A total of 1,52,274 new cases were reported in the state from May 1 till 11. While on April 30, the cumulative number of Covid patients in Haryana was 4,87,978, it rose to 6,40,252 on May 11.

Although the overall fatality rate in the state continues to remain below 1 per cent and was recorded at 0.92 per cent on May 11, experts attribute it to the steep rise in the number of new cases.

On Wednesday, V Umashankar, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, directed all Deputy Commissioners to continuously update the data regarding treatment of Covid patients in the district hospitals on the specified portal. DCs were also directed to ensure home delivery of oxygen cylinder refills to patients in home isolation. “People should get cylinders as soon as possible so that there is no problem of any kind…It should also be ensured that the scheme regarding oxygen cylinders is not misused.”