Covid positivity rate dips in TN, but guards let down too soon

VIRUDHUNAGAR: Registering an average positivity rate of 5.05 per cent between June 1 and 17, the district is in a much better position now compared to May. However, Health Care Workers (HCW) opine that it is too soon to let guards down as done by many people. 

According to data obtained from the district administration by TNIE, 57,556 samples were tested between June 1 and 17, of which only 3,016 tested positive. This brought down the average positivity rate to 5.05 per cent, offering a breather to the officials. The positivity rate was in double digits since April 22, the highest being on May 9 (33 per cent).

A consistent drop was noticed from May 24 and it dropped below 10 per cent from May 31, and below five per cent from June 11. Cases during the first Covid wave were at their peak in July 2020 with 7,375 cases that month and a positivity rate of 20.11 per cent in the district. While the number of tests per day was between 3,000 and 5,000 during that period, now, it is around 2,000 to 3,000. 

Just when the district is showing a positive sign, the public has stopped following restrictions like maintaining physical distance and wearing masks, claimed health officials. “We can see people roaming about freely, most of them without masks. We see them coughing while on the roads or spitting at public places, posing a threat to others. It is not that the public must be locked inside their homes but we need to behave more responsibly now,” said a doctor. 

Speaking to TNIE, Collector Dr J Meghanatha Reddy said “Rapid vaccination with zero wastage while focusing on vulnerable groups and clusters is our priority. Also, a registry of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) would be maintained so that special attention could be given to those suffering from them. This apart, the health infrastructure would be upgraded to make the district ready for another wave.”