Tripura: COVID-19 cases to peak in October warns state core committee

Agartala: Tripura is moving towards the high-risk zone with the surge in COVID-19 cases in the state, warned members of the state-level COVID-19 core committee on Monday. The members warned the virus outbreak would sprial out of control in October if the number of tests were not increased in the state.

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Dr Subrata Chakraborty, chairman of the core committee, expressed concern over the recent spike in cases in the West district and said that the procrastination in testing samples and fear of visiting hospitals had caused the situation.

Another member of the committee, microbiologist, Dr Tapan Majumder said that at a time when the number of cases in India is declining, Tripura has recorded between 9 to 10 per cent rise in the last one week.

The chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday reviewed the coronavirus situation in the state to decide the next course of action.

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He also revealed that recently 46 samples were collected randomly from Lake Chowmuhani market, out of which 26 persons tested positive for the virus.

“If the situation does not subside by October, then the situation will get out of control. The people have to cooperate in fighting with the novel coronavirus. The numbers are increasing since people did not cooperate during the house to house survey”, Majumder said.

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The members of the committee also said that the doubling rate of coronavirus in Tripura is 31.5 days in comparison to the national rate of 32 days. The cases are increasing at a rate of 3.3 per cent per day in the state. “Tripura will reach its peak of coronavirus cases in October,” Majumder warned.

“The rate of sample testing will be increased in Tripura as directed by the Chief Minister. All positive persons would be traced by October”, Majumder added.

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The health department has also decided to start antibody tests starting from September 15 to find people with high immunity, so that plasma therapy can be started at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the doctors also informed that adequate arrangements for beds, oxygen and other equipment have been made for the treatment of positive patients. At the same time, three-level treatment will be made for the treatment of patients.

Those having mild symptoms and are asymptomatic will be treated in COVID Care Centres, the second level would be for those having symptoms would be treated at GBP COVID ward. Third level will be for severe cases needing ICU and ventilator.

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Presently 246 persons are under facility quarantine, while 3,240 are under home quarantine.

2,44,554 samples have been tested of which 8,920 persons have tested positive for the virus, with 79 deaths and 2,407 active cases so far.

The positivity rate stands at 3.65 per cent, test per million at 61,175 while the recovery rate stands at 72.05 per cent and mortality rate at 0.88 per cent.