Health worker collect swab sample for Covid-19 testing at Shastri park in New Delhi  |  Photo Credit: IANS
New Delhi: Even as India remains firmly in the grip of a deadly third wave of COVID-19, officials suggest that cases will decline within the next three weeks. A downward trend has already been seen in some states and metro cities.
As per an ANI update quoting government sources, COVID-19 cases in the country are expected to decline by February 15. “Vaccination has reduced the impact of the third wave. Health Ministry is coordinating with states and union territories. 74% of the adult population is fully vaccinated,” the sources added.
India on Monday reported 3.06 lakh fresh COVID-19 cases and 439 deaths as the active case tally rose past 22.49 lakhs. Data from the Health Ministry also indicates that more than 2.43 lakh people recovered during the past 24 hours. The daily positivity rate now stands at 20.75%, while the recovery rate is currently at 93.07%. It must be noted that even as the active tally continues to rise, India’s daily caseload has begun to drop. Monday’s numbers incidentally were 27,469 cases less than the previous day.
Less than a month after the country’s vaccination drive was expanded to include older children, nearly 42 million minors between the ages of 15 and 18 have not been inoculated with one dose of Covaxin. With frontline workers and comorbid senior citizens now eligible for a ‘preventive’ dose, 81,80,165 people have been inoculated with a third jab. In total India has administered more than 162 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
While the COVID-19 caseload rose to record highs in several parts of the countries during this month, experts have suggested that many places would reach their case peak within the week. Others are believed to have already crested the wave. “Looking at the COVID-19 vaccination status and the natural infection, we can say that very soon, the majority of us will be getting an infection. And then this virus will convert into the endemic virus,” top AIIMS epidemiologist Dr Sanjay Rai told news agency ANI on Sunday.