The state government in Maharashtra claimed on Wednesday that the second Covid-19 wave is now under control, even as chief minister Uddhav Thackeray urged citizens to adopt Covid-19-appropriate behaviour to avoid a third wave, especially during the upcoming festive season. The second wave, according to Thackeray, is not yet over.
On Wednesday, the state saw 5,132 new cases and 158 deaths. The government said in a statement released after the state Cabinet meeting that the average weekly positivity rate has now dropped to 2.4 percent. Furthermore, it stated that Nandurbar district had zero patients, six districts had less than ten patients, and eight districts had less than 100 patients. According to the state government, about half of those aged 45 and up have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while only 25% of those aged 18 to 45 have received one. As of Wednesday, over 50 million people had received one dose of the vaccine, with 13,307,000 people having received all three doses.
The figures, according to state surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate, showed a downward trend. “When the positivity rate drops below 5%, it means the virus is under control,” said Dr. Awate. “Along with their standard practises of testing, contact tracing, and medication, the authorities also took into account local factors to combat the virus,” he added. The percentage of people who test positive out of all the people who have been tested for an infection is known as the positivity rate.
