Has Indore prepared to win the battle against coronavirus? After 2 weeks of dipping daily counts, it had just 6 positive cases out of 1,058 tested on Sunday. This is the lowest since it March 24, when it recorded its first 4 cases.
Indore’s positivity rate has been on the decline since June 1 and only 530 new cases have been detected in the last 14 days despite more tests being conducted and relaxations in the lockdown. Those 530 cases were found after testing around 23,600 samples, according to daily health bulletin records.
The positivity rate hovered around 3% for most of last week, and dropped dramatically on Sunday, according to the daily health bulletin released by CMHO office late Sunday night. For 10 days this June, Indore’s daily count has been lower than Bhopal’s.
CMHO-in-charge Dr M P Sharma said, “We have been successful in containing the spread of the virus in the district for now and are continuing with the same strategy. Strict lockdown and contact tracing with precise strategy have helped us in this.”
Indore has the highest number of cases and deaths in MP (4,063 and 174), prompting an aggressive fightback by the administration. Health workers, like ANAM and ASHA workers, conducted door-to-door surveys to identify vulnerable areas and potential COVID. “There is going to be a second round of door-to-door survey of all households in the district to further contain the virus,” said Sharma.
Dr Salil Sakalle, HoD of community medicine and member of the district surveillance team, said, “Meticulous contact tracing and strict isolation strategy of administration the ration has impeded transmission of the virus in the district. It seems, from the low positivity rate, that the virus isn’t spreading as easily.”
