Nagpur: Since the easing of COVID-19 restrictions at the start of the week, everyone was waiting for Friday to know whether Nagpur would continue in Level-1. On Friday, State Government released data in this regard. The data made it clear that Nagpur would continue to be in Level-1 at least till another assessment next week. In simple terms, Nagpur will continue with the relaxations for the time being.
The data released by the State Government on Friday revealed that the State’s average case positivity rate was 5.81 per cent for the week from June 4 and June 10. As per the State Government guidelines issued on June 4, the districts with positivity rate less than 5 per cent, and oxygen beds occupancy less than 25 per cent, qualified for being in Level-1. The districts in Level-1 qualified for ‘regular’ activities with COVID appropriate behaviour and control over super-spreader factors like travel by local trains/marriages etc.
As far as Vidarbha region is concerned, of total 11 districts, only two had weekly average case positivity rate above 5 per cent. All others, including Nagpur, had positivity rate below 5 per cent. Thus, Nagpur and eight other districts qualified for continuing in Level-1 at least for another week, that is, till the assessment next week.
This also means that these districts qualify for continuing with the existing relaxations. The only two districts from the region with weekly positivity rate above 5 per cent are Gadchiroli (5.55 per cent) and Akola (5.37 per cent). As far as weekly oxygen beds occupancy for the period up to June 10 was concerned, all 11 districts of Vidarbha had it less than 25 per cent.
While releasing the data on Friday, the Government stated, “Based on these figures, the DDMA (District Disaster Management Authority) may now decide which level of restrictions should be imposed in their respective administrative units as per the order dated 4th June, 2021.” Thus, now, it is up to the DDMA concerned to take final call on how to go about continuing with the relaxations.
Interestingly, as per the data for the period from June 4 to June 10, Vidarbha districts have performed well in the entire State of Maharashtra in terms of low weekly positivity rate and oxygen beds occupancy. Gondia and Chandrapur districts recorded the lowest weekly positivity rate of 0.83 per cent and 0.87 per cent respectively in the State. Wardha, Bhandara, and Gondia districts recorded the lowest occupancy of oxygen beds in the State, with occupancy of 1.57 per cent, 1.60 per cent, and 1.87 per cent respectively. Incidentally, these three became the only districts in Maharashtra to have less than 2 per cent occupancy of oxygen beds.
