New Delhi: The Coronavirus spread in India has started shrinking. The country has been witnessing a sharp fall in daily Covid-19 cases. The weekly positivity rate has dropped below five per cent in 344 districts – nearly half of India’s 718 districts. The active caseload has been witnessing a fall of almost a lakh daily for the past few days. Deaths due to Covid-19 complications as dropped below 3,000 for the past two days – all these indicate that the Covid-19 second wave has started waning.
States like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir have already started gradual (partial) unlocking in their respective states with virus infections under control. While Delhi has extended the curfew on the movement of individuals in the city till 5 am on 7 June, it allowed factory and construction activities. Haryana will be under lockdown for one more week but the state has relaxed the restrictions on shop timings and malls. Uttar Pradesh has lifted curfew from 64 districts. But states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Goa have extended lockdown/restrictions in their respective states in order to limit the spread of virus infections.
With an aim to avoid a possible third wave, the Centre on Tuesday laid down criteria for Covid unlocking for districts – positivity rate of below 5 per cent for a week, vaccination of 70 per cent of the vulnerable population, and community ownership of Covid-appropriate behaviour and care. According to Dr. Balram Bhargava, ICMR Director General and a member of India’s Covid-19 task force, “Gradual lifting of restrictions will not witness a massive surge”. He, however, said districts have to “ensure that vaccination has to be prioritized”
