MUMBAI: There are 10 districts in the state that have a weekly positivity rate (WPR) higher than the state average of 24%.
These districts are those where Covid-19 cases are surging and the list does not include Mumbai. Topping the charts is Nashik district, which reported a WPR of nearly 39% for the week that ended on January 19. Pune followed with a WPR of 38.5% and Raigad reported a WPR of 31%.
In contrast, Mumbai, where the third wave is ebbing, had a WPR of 18.5%, lower than Dhule and Nandurbar.
The WPR takes into account the total number of tests carried out in a week and the positive cases detected in those. State surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate said the Omicron-Covid wave in Mumbai and the neighbouring districts, such as Thane and Palghar, is already declining, but other districts are showing a rise.
The daily caseload in seven days has galloped to over 18,000 in Pune and over 6,000 in Nagpur. “If the wave in these districts is similar to the Mumbai wave, which rose and plateaued quickly, then we should see a decline in most districts of Maharashtra within the next week or two,” said Dr Awate.
Health minister Rajesh Tope said the districts which have a higher positivity rate than the state average have been asked to ramp up testing and ensure that people getting treated in home quarantine are monitored regularly.
A doctor said that almost 33% of the state population is already infected with the virus and another 33% is exposed. “In the rest of the month, the remaining 33% will also get exposed to Omicron. The Omicron wave should be over by February-end in Maharashtra,” he said.
The state health department’s experts believe that the Omicron-Covid wave has not only been mild, but has not needed any specific treatment or oxygen support for people. “This wave has been so mild that if there was no surveillance due to the pandemic, we would not have noticed it at all. Over 80% of the patients are asymptomatic or suffer from cold-like symptoms,” he said.
