Even as cases remained low during the first half of the month with an average of 220 daily till Dec 20, the past 10 days saw a whopping 12,148 cases
Visitors are asked to leave the Gateway of India, amid curbs, on Friday
In 2021, the relief was short-lived for Mumbaikars. While November had brought along some hope with the end of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic after April—the worst-hit month, December is marking an exponential rise in cases. Though the first half of the month recorded a low number of cases and the death toll remained at all-time lowest, the second half took a 180-degree turn.
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On December 1, the city had reported 108 cases and on December 30, the number increased close to 4,000. Death toll, however, is still low at 39 so far. A total of 16,598 cases were reported in December till 30. What is concerning is the sudden rise in cases. Till December 20, total cases stood at 4,450, with an average of 222 daily cases. However, in the past 10 days, the city has recorded 12,148 cases with the infections doubling every day or two.
The test positivity rate (cases among 100 tests) has also seen a significant rise. The lowest TRP since the beginning of the second wave was recorded on December 1 at 0.28 per cent. The number rose to 7.92 per cent on December 30. On an average, around 40,000 tests were conducted daily throughout the month.
“In the genome sequencing report which was conducted in November, all the cases were found to be either of Delta variant or Delta derivatives. Now in the recent genome sequencing, almost 38 per cent cases are of Omicron. It means the new variant is spreading fast and is the reason behind the surge in cases,” said an official from the BMC.
However, the death toll remained at an all-time low with 39 casualties in 30 days. The month also recorded seven days without a single fatality. “Most of the deceased (over 85 per cent) were seniors and had comorbidities. They were also undergoing treatment for a longer duration. The patients affected with the Omicron variant are showing mild to no symptoms. The number of hospitalisation is also low, and even the patients who have been admitted do not require oxygen or ICU care,” said Dr Avinash Supe, head of Covid deaths review committee.
7.92
Percentage of TPR on Dec 30
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