The Union government continued to deny the onset of community transmission in India, even as the country recorded 26,128 fresh covid-19 cases, taking the total tally to 787,601 on Thursday.
“There is no sign of community transmission of covid-19 in India. However, we have localized outbreaks in certain geographical areas. Out of 733 districts, only 49 districts account for 80% of covid-19 cases,” Rajesh Bhushan, officer-on-special duty, ministry of health and family welfare said at a press conference. This has also been clarified by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan, during the 18th meeting of the high-level group of ministers (GoM) on covid-19, Bhushan said.
“Further, 49 districts alone account for 80% of covid-19 cases in the country. By following the contact tracing protocols, we are able to trace and track all close contacts of reported covid-19 cases within 72 hours. In such a scenario, it is not justified to say that there is community transmission,” Bhushan said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had on Tuesday acknowledged the emerging evidence of airborne spread of the novel coronavirus after an open letter by more than 200 scientists outlined evidence showing that floating virus particles can infect people who breathe them in. The concern about community transmission in India has increased after the WHO acknowledgement as the country is continuously witnessing an increasing number of cases.
“It is an evolving situation and the Union health ministry is keeping itself abreast on this particular aspect. Maintaining a physical distance of 6 feet, as is being repeatedly advised by the Centre, will help us contain the spread of the infection,” Bhushan said.
India has recorded an increased recovery rate among covid-19 patients. The gap between recovered covid-19 cases and active cases is progressively increasing in the country. As on 9 July, the recovery rate stands at 62.09%, Bhushan said.
India has so far recorded 21,526 deaths. About 15% of covid-19 deaths have been of people below 45 years of age, while 53% deaths have been among senior citizens, he said. The high-risk population are those aged above 45 years who form 25% of the country’s population. However, 85% of all covid-19 deaths have occurred in this group.
News Source: Livemint