[ad_1]
Maharashtra saw a marginal rise in the number of patients testing positive for Covid-19 with 179 cases being reported on Thursday against a lower 162 on Wednesday, leading to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray urging people to take precautions. State officials said they were watching the situation and it would be too early to consider bringing back some restrictions, including the mask mandate.
“Corona seems to be rearing its head again. Hence, it is necessary to take precautions even today,” Thackeray said.
The surge was largely due to growing numbers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with Mumbai and Thane reporting 91 and 18 cases respectively. Pune city also saw 21 cases, while the number was eight for neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad. However, just one death caused by Covid-19 was reported in the state.
On Tuesday, Maharashtra reported 137 cases, while it was just 59 on Monday, largely due to lower testing on the weekend. Thursday was the second day when more than 90 cases were recorded in Mumbai. On Wednesday, 98 cases were reported and the daily positivity rate was 1.03%.
The daily positivity rate in the city on Thursday continued to be above 1% at 1.07%, indicating a rise compared to Wednesday.
While Delhi has made masks mandatory in view of a spike in cases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not taken any such decision.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, said no decision on making masks compulsory had been taken yet.
Municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said, “The State Covid-19 task force may take a decision on this matter.”
Though BMC officials did not call it a wave, they attributed the case spike to zero restrictions and making wearing of masks optional.
In Mumbai, the active cases which were below 300 have increased to 450. However, the recovery and hospitalisation rates have not gone up significantly. The recovery rate is 98%, while the mortality rate is 1.84%. The hospitalisation figure is 0.05%.
Experts said there was no need to press the panic button.
Dr Shashank Joshi, member of state Covid-19 task force, said, “There is no concern as such for panicking. We need to be watchful, follow Covid appropriate behaviour, and wear masks in a closed environment or places having poor ventilation.”
State surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate said the weekly pattern of cases did not show a drastic rise in positivity, though the trend in Mumbai showed an upswing. “In Mumbai, the asymptomatic cases are around 95%… cases are not rising across the state but in the city. When a virus reaches an endemic stage, cases may rise or fall like the caseload of malaria or dengue, depending on the climate and events.”
Awate said unless a new variant of the virus was detected, there was little chance of a fourth wave setting in.
Dr Avinash Bhondwe, past president of Indian Medical Association, said the rise was restricted to around four to five states.
“We are gradually transitioning from a pandemic to the endemic stage,” he said, adding that a mere rise in numbers did not indicate a fourth wave as the growth was restricted to a few areas.
He, however, said some states like Maharashtra had done away with pandemic-related restrictions altogether, testing numbers had fallen, and contract tracing and vaccine coverage had not increased. “The virus is losing its virulence, and hence, even a fourth wave sets in, it may not be serious and burden the public health system,” Bhondwe said.
A section of experts believes that the situation in Maharashtra has not yet reached a stage to implement a mandate for compulsory mask use.
“There is absolutely no need to make masks compulsory unless a new, worrisome variant comes into circulation,” said epidemiologist and health systems expert Dr Chandrakant Lahariya.
“The missing link in the current government discourse is public awareness and health and science communication. The government should have held campaigns that nudge people to wear masks, especially those who are immunocompromised and need it,” he said.
Vellore-based virologist Dr T Jacob John said, “The government has not been very good with public health education, and when it comes to voluntary use of face masks, such education and awareness is crucial.”
Stating that the current spikes are not alarming, he said, “There is overcrowding everywhere as normal activities have resumed. We are bound to see some rise in numbers, but until the daily rise is not dramatic and a new concerning variant is not in circulation, we can stay calm. Personally, I would get worried when states start recording daily cases over 1,000.”
Maharashtra has been recording new cases in the range of 100 to 150 every day this week. Incidentally, single day cases in Delhi crossed 1,000 on Wednesday, prompting the government to bring back the mask mandate there.
“It is disappointing that many people are not wearing masks voluntarily. I still feel more than the compulsory use of masks, governments should focus on telling people its advantages, so that they choose masks on their own,” John said.
Pulmonologist and epidemiologist Dr Lancelot Pinto from Mumbai’s PD Hinduja Hospital said masks could be made mandatory in closed spaces such as cinema halls, airplanes etc. “In outdoor spaces, the use of masks should be purely driven by public education and should continue to be voluntary.”
“There is no need to reintroduce the mask mandate unless we see a sudden rise in hospitalisation without any explanation. I think we must focus on public education so that vulnerable people choose to wear masks voluntarily,” Pinto said.
[ad_2]
Source link
Notably, these mutants are rarely overlapped with those identified in similar genetic screens with currently used antifungals, suggesting a novel mode of antifungal action can you buy cialis online
Okubo I, Kondo M, Toi M, Ochiai T, Miki S what is the best natural viagra
propecias Fackenthal JD, Sveen L, Gao Q, Kohlmeir EK, Adebamowo C, Ogundiran TO, Adenipekun AA, Oyesegun R, Campbell O, Rotimi C, Akang EE, Das S, Olopade OI
Sadly, most doctors refuse to consider any and all effective therapies that fall outside the mainstream acheter levitra 10 mg orodispersible And not everyone has the motivation, determination and time to put into what it takes to achieve such a fabulous looking body or physique
Intervention mapping based support program for endocrine therapy management buy generic propecia
strongest prescription allergy medication strongest over the counter allergy antihistamine nasal spray canada
prednisone 5mg usa buy generic prednisone
nausea drugs list order coversyl pills
accutane 40mg ca purchase accutane pill absorica buy online
buy strongest sleeping pills provigil 100mg us
brand amoxicillin buy generic amoxil buy amoxicillin 250mg pills
zithromax oral purchase zithromax generic how to buy zithromax
order gabapentin 600mg online cheap cheap neurontin online
buy lasix pill diuretic furosemide over the counter
purchase omnacortil online cheap order omnacortil 5mg online cheap order omnacortil generic
deltasone 40mg sale order prednisone 40mg generic
amoxil over the counter amoxil price buy amoxil 1000mg pills
synthroid 75mcg usa cheap levothroid generic levothyroxine generic
cheap levitra 20mg vardenafil price
order semaglutide 14mg generic rybelsus pill order semaglutide 14mg
buy rybelsus without prescription cheap rybelsus 14 mg semaglutide 14mg generic
amoxiclav medication amoxiclav buy online order augmentin for sale
viagra 100mg without prescription viagra medication order viagra 100mg for sale
buy generic rybelsus online brand semaglutide 14mg rybelsus order online
buy vardenafil tablets how to get vardenafil without a prescription buy vardenafil sale
buy generic triamcinolone aristocort 10mg ca buy generic aristocort for sale
oral plaquenil plaquenil 200mg uk hydroxychloroquine pill
tadalafil 20mg sale over the counter cialis tadalafil without a doctor’s prescription
cenforce 100mg drug purchase cenforce without prescription buy cenforce paypal
buy glucophage 500mg generic buy glucophage 1000mg generic order metformin 500mg without prescription
amlodipine price buy amlodipine generic buy generic norvasc over the counter
buy lisinopril 5mg online order zestril sale buy lisinopril without a prescription
buy omeprazole 20mg omeprazole 20mg drug purchase omeprazole sale
order metoprolol 100mg without prescription purchase lopressor without prescription buy generic lopressor 100mg
atenolol for sale oral tenormin 50mg atenolol 100mg generic
oral depo-medrol methylprednisolone 16 mg tablets buy methylprednisolone canada
buy an assignment cheap paper writing services money can t buy everything essay
order generic meloxicam buy generic meloxicam oral celecoxib 100mg
buy flomax paypal buy flomax generic celecoxib 200mg ca
order zofran without prescription zofran 4mg drug spironolactone 25mg pills
simvastatin generic buy valtrex pills order valacyclovir 500mg online
acillin pill ampicillin order online amoxil canada
order ciprofloxacin 500mg generic – augmentin 375mg for sale augmentin 1000mg ca
purchase baycip online – bactrim 960mg cost buy augmentin generic
buy flagyl paypal – metronidazole 200mg drug buy zithromax sale
ciprofloxacin online order – generic amoxicillin 250mg
order erythromycin for sale
valacyclovir for sale – buy diltiazem pill order acyclovir 800mg
cost ivermectin – buy generic suprax 100mg tetracycline 250mg oral
oral acillin buy penicillin generic cheap amoxil pill
glycomet 1000mg canada – buy cefadroxil without prescription buy lincocin
zidovudine 300 mg drug – buy irbesartan online buy allopurinol 300mg online cheap
oral clozapine – coversum online buy buy pepcid tablets
where can i buy seroquel – generic bupron SR purchase eskalith without prescription