HUBBALLI: Despite Dharwad seeing a steady increase in Covid-19 cases and fatalities, the district administration seems relieved that the doubling rate has increased.
But a lack of proper strategy in containing the virus and laxity among the authorities concerned is clearly visible as cases are sprouting across rural and urban areas.
The district took 24 days for cases to double from 5,773 on August 8 to 11,512 on September 1. Earlier, cases doubled once in 15 days and the worst being nine days.
Officials now surmise that the district is flattening the curve and Covid cases would taper in the coming weeks.
But there is panic among people as the district is seeing 200-300 cases every day over the last few days. People complained that though the authorities claim that they are taking steps to break the chain of infection, little impact is seen on the ground.
According to data from the district administration, July and August were the worst hit with 7,227 and 3,742 cases, respectively.
The two months contributed 10,969 of the total 11,512 cases so far.
Experts said that this surge in positive cases is because of laxity on the part of authorities.
During the initial days of the pandemic, they followed the basic principles of battle against coronavirus – test, trace and isolate. But with a sudden surge, they lost their way, resulting in primary and secondary contacts not being traced and isolated.
A senior official in the district administration claimed that two staffers, either from the Health, Education or Women and Child Welfare departments, are deployed in every part of every ward across the district, to trace and isolate contacts.
Even in testing, Dharwad is among the top districts, he added.