As cases rise, health experts in J’khand sound Puja alert

Ranchi: With active cases of the Covid-19 infection in

Jharkhand

showing an upward trend in the past week touching the three-digit mark, health

experts

have warned that the rise is a result of negligence and people should be vigilant enough to treat this surge as an early warning of a third wave.

Talking to TOI, public health expert and assistant professor of community medicine at Rajendra Institute of Medicine Sciences, Dr Dewesh Kumar said: “People have become negligent as they think that Covid-19 has ended but they do not know the reality yet. People have forgotten Covid-appropriate behaviour and are not following social-distancing norms. Apart from that, mask compliance has gone down among public and crowds are thronging the markets.”

Dr Kumar added that with Durga Puja approaching, people who haven’t been able to celebrate it for the last two years are thinking that they can do whatever they feel like. “I have been observing that people are thronging the markets without following Covid-appropriate behaviour. Apart from that opening of schools has also contributed to the spread and we need to ensure that stringent protocols are implemented on school campuses,” said Dr Kumar.

According to health department records, the number of active cases in Jharkhand reached 97 on October 2 from 50 on September 28 which shows that the infection graph which was on a decline for the last four months, is rising.

Critical care expert at RIMS, Dr Pradeep Bhattacharya, said: “We need to ensure that people are taking precautions and should avoid gatherings, congregations and should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour as the virus mutates. People should be careful.”


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