On September 16, India recorded a single day record of over 96,000 new Covid-19 cases. However, the number of cases seemed to gradually decline with India recording just 28,555 Covid-19 cases in a single day on November 16. A slight respite, one could say.
However, since November 17, India is once again witnessing a sudden spike of Covid-19 cases. Dropping temperatures in the north of India and the public letting their guard down by not adhering to the Covid-19 norms could be some of the factors. This sudden spike of cases has led to the question – Are we witnessing signs of a second Covid-19 wave in India?
According to health experts, there has been a steady rise in the mortality rate across various states in the past couple of days. Taking Kerala for example, the state has been witnessing an average number of around 20 deaths daily. When Covid-19 hit India, Kerala, like many states, did a good job of containing the virus during the first wave. On November 19, for the first time in a long time, Kerala’s total positivity rate (TPR) decreased to 8.54% but on November 22, the TPR increased to 10.94% which can be looked as a hint that a second wave could be in its infancy.
In an interview with a media organisation the Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that the government is planning to vaccinate 25-30 crore Indians by September 2021. According to Dr. Vardhan, the country should be getting a vaccine within the first three months of 2021 and has added that the country is on the path of developing its own indigenous vaccines. With regards to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, he said that the country is likely to complete the third-phase vaccine trials within the next few months.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India has been following the Covid crisis in the country closely. The SC has been concerned and has been pulling up the Centre and the states on the steps taken to tackle this pandemic. Hours ago, the apex court has sought Covid reports from Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat. These states have seen a significant rise in Covid cases in the last few days. The top court has said that the situation across the country is likely to worsen. The top court has asked the Centre and all states to file a report on the measures taken to tackle the current Covid-19 situation.
Maharashtra continues to be the worst hit state in the country. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has appealed to the citizens to adhere to the Covid-19 norms in order to avoid another lockdown. With the rise in cases, the government is still deciding whether another lockdown should be imposed if the situation doesn’t improve. The CM has warned that the next Covid wave will be like a Tsunami.
Apart from Assam, Delhi, Gujurat and Maharashtra, states like Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan have also seen a steady rise in cases.
As of November 23, India has a total of 91,39,865 Covid-19 cases with 85,62,641 recoveries. According to Worldometer, India has a 98% recovery rate. In April, India had a death rate of 30.18%. Although the number has come down to single digits, with the developments in the last couple of days, the mortality rate in the country has been increasing.
