Over 10 % positivity rate in 382 districts

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 22

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Small gains notwithstanding, Covid-19 continues to pose a massive public health challenge with half of India’s districts reporting a positivity rate of over 10 per cent. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends continuous containment and ramping up tests till the rate falls below 5 per cent.

Oxygen trains leave for Punjab

Two ‘Oxygen Express’ trains carrying 52 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen left from Hazira near Surat in Gujarat for Punjab and Delhi, a Western Railway official said.

Government data shows that 382 of India’s 756 districts have a positivity rate of more than 10 per cent requiring local lockdowns and restrictions to break the chain of transmission. Among these districts are Punjab’s 14, Haryana’s 18, Himachal and JK’s 12 each and Chandigarh and Ladakh. Punjab is also among states reporting a high fatality rate.

Family members can get jabs at workplaces: Centre

The Centre has clarified to states that family members and dependents of workers can also be covered in vax drives at workplaces.

Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, UP and Tamil Nadu are reporting the bulk of the daily deaths in the country.

“The pandemic is stabilising. Active cases have declined for 20 days and now constitute 11.12% of the total cases as against 17.13% on May 3. Recoveries are up (87.76%). We have seen nine straight days of recoveries exceeding new cases with 22 states now reporting more daily recoveries than cases. These are good signs but 382 districts still have above 10 per cent positivity rate. We have a long way to go to contain the pandemic,” said VK Paul, Member, Health, NITI Aayog.