The home quarantine for Covid-19 has seen a staggering dip of 96.60 per cent in the last 30 days, even though there has been a significant drop in institutional quarantine by 76 per cent. Until February 5, as per the state health department’s data, 7,95,442 people were under home quarantine, which dropped to 27,025 by March 5. Similarly, 2,447 were under institutional quarantine which has dropped to 589 during the same period.
State officials have attributed this strict implementation of restrictions, awareness amongst citizens about coronavirus and 71.20 per cent beneficiaries being fully vaccinated.
In the past two weeks, the daily cases of Covid-19 in the state have fallen below 1,00. In the last seven days, the daily reported numbers have been between 700 to 300. Experts say that the recovery rate among mildly symptomatic patients has also increased rapidly. State surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate said overall active cases have come down across the state, especially in the hotspots. He said in Mumbai alone, the number of active patients has come drop below 1,000.
Experts say that the state government managed to control the third wave of the pandemic even after lifting some of the curbs as there was no spike in a few districts. However, caution has to be exercised as several cases, at least in Mumbai, are of the Omicron variant, which is being called a super mutant owing to its transmissibility.
However, the medical experts say that people should watch out for the upcoming summer months of April and May. The caution is triggered by the trends observed during the first and second waves of Covid in Mumbai.
“The best way to avoid a spike again would be to use masks outdoors as well as indoors in spaces such as offices, schools, colleges etc. “In addition to this, we should continue to vaccinate and give booster doses to as many people as possible,” said a doctor.
Additional municipal commissioner (health) Suresh Kakani said that home quarantine has seen a fall as generally cases across the city are decreasing. Following this, active cases have also reduced and the doubling and weekly growth rate have also increased. He said strict restrictions played a major role in curbing the cases.
“As most of the patients were asymptomatic and feared stepping out, it was easier for health officers to keep a tab on them during home quarantine. Almost 60-70 per cent of patients in Mumbai have completed their home quarantine,” he said.
