Noida: The Gautam Budh Nagar district is witnessing a significant surge in the number of Covid-19 cases. In the past 11 days (August 28-September 7), the district recorded 1,419 positive cases with the daily average of 129 cases, registering a daily growth of 50% over the previous 11-day period.

During August 17-27, GB Nagar had reported 943 positive cases with the daily average of about 86 cases, according to an analysis of data from the state health department. Also, the recovery rate has come down to around 60% in the past 11 days, compared to 84% of the previous period. On Tuesday, with 236 new cases, the district recorded the highest single-day spike so far, taking the overall tally of positive cases to 9,126. District officials have attributed the sudden surge in cases to reverse migration of workers and increasing number of tests.

“Being an industrial hub, the district has a floating population. The reverse migration of workers is believed to be the main reason of increasing trend of Covid-19 cases. Secondly, if the doctors are to be believed, the season nowadays has maximum viral load, which is always a good carrier for many virus-borne diseases. And most importantly, with the restrictions eased and economic activities started, the cases will keep increasing if people don’t take all the precautionary measures,” said Suhas LY, district magistrate, GB Nagar. When asked about the measures planned by the district administration to check this sudden surge, Suhas said that early and timely tracking of the cases and providing adequate treatment to the patients have already begun by the district health department.

“We appeal to the common people not to give up masks and social distancing in any case,” said the DM. However, GB Nagar chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Deepak Ohri said that the sudden surge in the positive cases are mainly due to increasing number of tests per day. “At present, we are testing 3,000 to 4,000 persons daily. It is obvious that the more we test, the more cases will be recorded. Our mechanism is very systematic in this regard. We allow home isolation to the patients, either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms without any co-morbidity. So far, 750 patients in home isolation have been cured and the remaining 194 are in the recovery stage,” he said.

District surveillance officer Dr Manoj Kushwaha said that so far 2,18,921 persons have been tested in the district. “Out of 2,18,921 tests, 1,36,375 were done using rapid antigen kits, while 77,943 through lab-based reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. The remaining 4,603 tests were conducted through real-time TrueNat machines,” he said.

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