Coronavirus: These Indian states are far from 'flattening the curve'
It has been almost a month since India was placed under a nationwide lockdown. At a press briefing on Thursday, the government said that the coronavirus outbreak has been growing at a linear rate of 4.5% and the curve has been "flattened." However, that is not the case for every state in India. Here's a brief look at how some states are performing.
Maharashtra recorded highest single-jump just yesterday
Maharashtra remains the worst-hit state in India by the absolute number of cases. However, the rate at which the outbreak is growing in the state also remains worrisome. Just on Thursday, the state recorded 778 new cases, the highest single-day jump, taking its total tally to 6,427. Notably, most of the cases are concentrated in Mumbai, which has reported over 4,000 infections.
Spike in Gujarat's cases since April 15
Since April 15, when "phase two" of the nationwide lockdown started, Gujarat has seen a sharp spike in the number of cases. Gujarat had reported 766 cases on April 15, which have now jumped to 2,624, making it the second worst-hit state.
Madhya Pradesh records 5% mortality rate
With Shivraj Singh Chouhan functioning as a one-man cabinet through the majority of the outbreak, the coronavirus has proven itself difficult for Madhya Pradesh. MP has 1,687 cases, including 83 deaths—a mortality rate of 5%. In the week ending April 18, the state had recorded a massive spike, which slowed over the past week. Interestingly, doubts have been raised about inconsistencies in government data.
Infections continue to rise in UP, Rajasthan, Bihar
In Uttar Pradesh, the outbreak has been growing steadily. Just this Tuesday, the state recorded its highest single-day jump with 153 new cases. Similarly, Rajasthan has also witnessed a steady rise in coronavirus cases, touching 2,000 on Friday. Bihar seemed to be handling the crisis well initially, however, since April 18, the number of infections has doubled from 86 to 170.
No slowdown in West Bengal either
With 452 cases, the outbreak has shown no signs of slowing down in West Bengal. Like MP, allegations of data inaccuracies have been raised against Bengal, which is the only state reporting a total count lower than the Union Health Ministry's tally without explicit reason.
Here are some other badly-hit regions
Delhi recorded its highest single-day jump on April 13 with 356 new cases. Although the outbreak has slowed since, the fall in new cases is not that significant. On Thursday, Delhi recorded 128 new cases. Total cases now stand at 2,376. Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir have seen a steady rise with 955 cases (till Friday morning) and 434 (till Thursday night), respectively.
No crazy spike in cases; flattened curves still afar
Although the outbreak seems to have slowed in Tamil Nadu, the number of cases have risen significantly, touching 1,683. Similar trends have been observed in Telangana (970 cases by Thursday), Karnataka (453 cases by Friday), Punjab (283 cases by Thursday), and Haryana (270 cases by Thursday). In Jharkhand, too, the cases have been rising steadily, but there are lesser number of absolute cases: 53.
Outbreak may be worsening in Odisha
In the early stages, Odisha had shown promise. However, since April 16, the number of cases have witnessed a spike, jumping from 61 to 89 till Thursday. It may be too soon to understand the trend in the state.
