Even as the districts of Maharashtra and Kerala continue to bear a high number of cases, other parts of the country are increasingly witnessing a rapid increase in cases that threaten to overwhelm local health capacities. So far, these districts have been a smaller part of the conversation about covid-19, but the surge in new infections and their large populations make them areas of concern.
Of the 129 districts that recorded more than 5,000 new cases last week, the district with the most new cases per capita was Gurugram in Haryana (11,695 new cases per million population). Kolkata was ranked number six (9,494), Dehradun number nine (8,632) and Srinagar number 11 (8,355). Kamrup Metropolitan (which includes the state capital Guwahati) in Assam (6,380) and Chandigarh (6,320) is also in the top 20. This represents six districts in five states, two of which recently ended with elections to the Assembly, and trade union territory.
These numbers are likely to increase in the coming days. As covid-19 spreads beyond major cities and traditional hotspot states, 184 districts have more cases per million population than the national average, up from 156 districts a week ago. 70 of these districts come from three states: Maharashtra (27), Chhattisgarh (22) and Karnataka (21). But there are also new states on this list now, such as Uttarakhand, where 12 of the 13 districts have per capita figures above the national average. Or, Himachal Pradesh, where that tally is 10 out of 12.
Increase in the number of deaths
As the second wave rages across the country, deaths from covid-19 have continued to reach new highs. Even without accounting for unreported deaths, the tally has jumped 26% since last week. Jharkhand remained the state with the largest increase in the number of covid-19 deaths for the second week in a row. With 1,100 deaths this week, he reported almost 4.3 times what he did a fortnight ago. Ranchi, its capital, made up a third of the deaths reported this week, as the death toll doubled. Worryingly, reported deaths in Lohardaga and Garhwa districts jumped 4 and 3 times, respectively, last week.
The weekly tally of the dead in Uttarakhand and Bihar has also seen strong jumps. Lack of access to oxygen continues to haunt Delhi, even though the death curve has tapered off in recent days. Maharashtra has seen a more sustained decline, while deaths continue to rise in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.
Growth pangs
Even though India’s per capita covid-19 vaccine doses increased slightly from 10.7 to 11.4 last week, its vaccination rate continues to be slower among the most populous countries. The weekly increase in the number of doses per 100 people fell to 7% last week, from 12% the week before, according to the data portal Our World in Data.
China has crossed the United States to take the lead in total doses of vaccines administered (285 million against 248 million). India retained its third position, ahead of the United Kingdom. But given its large size, it still barely represents a tenth of the population. Brazil, also facing a second wave, has already vaccinated a fifth of its population with at least one dose.
Globally, there is increasing pressure to waive patent protection for covid-19 vaccines, with the United States now supporting India and South Africa’s proposal on this. With a large pharmaceutical manufacturing base, India must use this moment to step up vaccine production and avoid a deadly third wave.
(howindialives.com is a public data database and search engine)
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