Excluding Kerala, Maharashtra and Nagaland, where the positivity rate was still high at 9.5%, 5% and 4.7% respectively over the last two 14-day periods (December 27-January 9 & Jan 9-22), the pandemic seems to be under control in other areas with 22 states and UTs bringing it down to below 1%.
The state is considered to be in the red zone and needs to impose lockdown in its containment zones if the positivity rate or the number of covid cases per 100 tests is above 5% measured over a 14 day period. In Kerala, the positivity rate is still increasing in contrast to the nationwide trend.
Except briefly during the December 13-26 fortnight when it was 4.78% in Maharastra, the country has seen the highest 20 lakh confirmed cases so far and over 50,000 deaths due to the pandemic and has failed to bring down the positivity rate below 5%.
📍Total #COVID19 Cases in India (as on January 23, 2021)
▶️96.82% Cured/Discharged/Migrated (1,03,00,838)
▶️1.74% Active cases (1,85,662)
▶️1.44% Deaths (1,53,184)Total COVID-19 confirmed cases = Cured/Discharged/Migrated+Active cases+Deaths pic.twitter.com/wZKsuH0SJr
— #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) January 23, 2021
Since November, Kerala’s positivity rate has been above 9%, which is a matter of concern. The state itself added more than 70,000 cases in the last 14 days, more than Maharashtra’s 38,000. Till December last week Goa took the second spot after Kerala in terms of the highest positivity rate.
However, it has now brought it to a convenient limit of less than 4% in the fortnight ended January 22 while Chandigarh got to 3%. There are only four states with a positivity rate above 3%. Four other states/UTs have it between 2% and 3% while 22 others have 0.2% to 1.6%, indicating a herd immunity that may have set in these areas.
Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, UP, Haryana, Odisha, Bihar have all brought it down to below 1% level in the last fortnight between January 9 and 22. Between November 8-21, there were nine states that had positivity rates between 7% and 15%.
Leading the pack was Himachal Pradesh at 15%, followed by Delhi-13%, Rajasthan-11%, Haryana-10%, Kerala-10%, Goa-9%, West Bengal-8%, Maharashtra-8% and Chhattisgarh-7%.