COVID-19 In India: Close To 90 Per Cent Of The Country Has High Positivity Rate, Rural Areas A Worry, Says Centre

Nearly 90 per cent of India is witnessing a high Covid-19 positivity rate as 640 districts out of the 734 are above the national threshold level of 5 per cent positivity rate, the centre said on May 11. The skyrocketing active caseload during the deadly second wave of coronavirus has overwhelmed the hospitals & crematoriums. There is an acute shortage of medical oxygen & key drugs needed to treat the critically ill Covid-19 patients. Last month the centre widened the vaccine net to include everyone over the age of 18. However, most states have struggled to vaccinate their people due to vaccine shortages. Underlining the need to break the chain of transmission, officials have cautioned states about the spread of the virus to rural areas. "New states like Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland are seeing a high positivity rate and we need to take corrective measures to break this chain of transmission," Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, said. Indian Council Of Medical Research (ICMR) has revised norms for testing with a particular focus on rural India. The virus has infected 2.29 crore people in India.