Northeast & Kerala Still Have Highest COVID Positivity Rate, Centre Sends Alert

Calling for swift action to control the spread of infection, the Central government has raised concern over certain districts reporting high COVID positivity rate.

Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to eight states with high positivity rates urging them to take immediate action to bring down cases and also share details of the action plan taken per the Disaster Management Act.

The states that have received the communication sent out by the health ministry are Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Odisha and Sikkim. These states have the maximum number of districts with above 10 per cent positivity.

1. Arunachal Pradesh

The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to allow only vaccinated people to enter the state amid rising positivity rate.

Agencies

COVID-19 claimed three more lives in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, taking the total death toll to 184.

On the other hand, 404 fresh cases of COVID-19 were detected during the past 24 hours.

2. Manipur

Manipur logged 760 new COVID-19 cases, including 8 central armed police force (CAPF) personnel, over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of positive cases to 6,534. The state has reported 74,341 COVID cases so far.

Meanwhile, 11 fatalities were reported, taking the death toll to 1,229.

In Manipur, he said two of the 16 districts (Bishnupur Kangpokpi) are showing a rise in the number of fresh cases for four weeks.

According to a statement issued by the state health department, 446 patients were discharged on Wednesday from different hospitals, and COVID care centres.

3. Assam

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that although the state has shown a decline in the number of new cases, four of its 33 districts have shown an increase in the figure for the last four weeks and 29 districts have reported over 100 new cases in the week ending July 4.

Jorhat (22 deaths from June 28-July 4 compared to 16 from June 7-13) and Sivasagar (15 deaths from June 28-July 4 compared to seven from June 7-13) districts showed a rise in the number of deaths in the last four weeks.

¡°Charaideo and Golaghat have reported a positivity rate of more than 10 per cent, which is emphasised to be analysed by the state,¡± Bhushan said.

4. Kerala

Kerala has shown a decline in the number of new cases, two of its 14 districts have shown an increase in the figure for four weeks. All districts have reported more than 200 daily cases in the week ending July 4.

BCCL

Kollam and Wayanad districts have shown an increase in the number of weekly deaths in the said period (June 7-July 4).

Thrissur and Malappuram have reported more than 70 deaths in a week (June 28-July 4). Thiruvananthapuram has shown a declining trend in deaths, however, reported 111 (in the week ending July 4)

Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Thrissur had over 100 new cases in the previous week with a weekly positivity rate of more than 10 per cent, the ministry said.

5. Meghalaya

Meghalaya is still reporting a weekly positivity rate of 14.05 per cent (June 28-July 4) and eight of its 11 districts are reporting a positivity rate of over 10 per cent.

¡°The districts of East Garo Hills, East Khasi Hills, North Garo Hills, Ri Bhoi, West Garo Hills, West Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills reported more than 100 new cases in the week ending July 4, with East Khasi Hills reporting 1,176 cases,¡± the ministry said.

5. Tripura

Tripura added 175 more COVID cases taking the tally to 64,194, with a total of 4,122 active cases.

Two more people died in the last 24 hours taking the death toll to 703 in the state.

The state reported an 11 per cent increase in weekly new cases. All eight districts reported more than 100 new cases over the previous week, and four out of eight districts had reported a test positivity rate of more than 10 per cent.

6. Odisha

Three Odisha districts reported a weekly positivity rate of over 10 per cent from June 28 to July 4. Though the state positivity rate is consistently decreasing (5.36 per cent for the week ending July 4), Nuapada district has shown a significant increase in it in the last week.

AP

7. Sikkim

Sikkim has reported 170 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the caseload to 21,573 on Wednesday.

With two more patients succumbing to the disease in the past 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 311, according to the health bulletin.

Sikkim's COVID-19 positivity rate stands at 17.1 per cent, while the recovery rate has increased to 88.2 per cent.

8. Nagaland

Nagaland has reported a positivity rate of more than 10 per cent in the weeks ending June 13, June 20 and June 27, with a decline seen in the week ending July 4 (6.44 per cent). Four of its 11 districts reported a positivity rate of over 10 per cent.

Kohima reported more than 100 cases in the week ending July 4 with a positivity rate of over five per cent for the last four weeks. Peren has shown a staggering increase in the number of new cases (36 cases from June 28-July 4 compared to three from June 7-13).

Kiphire has shown a five-per cent increase in the positivity rate in the last four weeks and six districts have shown a rise in the positivity rate in the week ending July 4.