Year on, Ludhiana district sees massive dip in Covid cases

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 1

Ludhiana, which had made a remarkable turnaround from being the worst-hit to the safest district in the state, has seen a massive dip in the Covid cases, deaths, and positivity rate last month as compared to August 2020.

While the monthly infections have seen a massive dip from 6,976 last August to 168 last month, the virus deaths came down from 325 to only four. The daily positivity rate, a key indicator of virus surge, plummeted from a whopping 13.44 per cent in August 2020 to 0.06 per cent this August, which was the lowest-ever monthly hit rate recorded in the district so far.

August 2020 vs August 2021

Covid cases dip from 6,976 to 168

Deaths down from 325 to 4

Daily hit rate plummets from 13.44% to lowest-ever 0.06%

The official figures compiled by the district administration, which are available with The Tribune, revealed that Ludhiana district reported 6,976 Covid cases at the daily average of 225.03; 325 deaths at the daily average of 10.48 and daily hit rate of 13.44 per cent in August 2020.

This August saw only 168 virus cases at the daily average of 5.42, four deaths at the daily average of 0.13 and daily positivity rate of 0.06 per cent.

While last year had recorded maximum daily cases of 462 on August 21 and minimum of 78 daily infections on August 2, the maximum daily cases this year remained 34 on August 11 and no virus case was reported on August 24, 28 and 29.

The compilation of average positivity rate showed that Ludhiana district had recorded 0.8 per cent in June and 0.1 per cent in July, which was much lesser than the state average of 1.8 per cent in June and 0.3 per cent in July.

The safe trend has been persisting since June when the district had made a remarkable turnaround by recording the daily positivity rate even below 1 per cent.

The development holds significance as Ludhiana had earlier assumed the dubious distinction of being the worst-hit district with the maximum number of daily Covid cases and deaths till May.

If it was mayhem in May when the second Covid wave had rapidly slid into a devastating crisis with the health facilities unbearably falling short, oxygen supplies running low and many dying even without seeing a doctor, June had given a sigh of relief with the signs of gradual retreat and impact of deadly virus plateauing and the safe trend continued in July and August when the hit rate further dipped to as low as 0.06 per cent, which was lowest-ever, last month.

This U-turn was all the more significant as the daily positivity rate has dropped by a whopping 19.51 per cent from the highest-ever ratio of 19.57 per cent in the past three months. The district had touched its peak of virus surge on May 2.

The daily hit rate has been plummeting constantly since the last week of May.

Ludhiana’s positivity rate had started at a high of 18.92 per cent on the first day of May, further rising and touching its peak of 19.57 per cent on May 2.