Raj: Doubling rate of Covid cases at 45 days, death rate also increasing

The doubling rate of coronavirus cases in Rajasthan has dropped to 45 days as compared to 94 days just over a week ago, officials said as a 15-day lockdown to prevent the infection's spread began in the state on Monday.

The weekly positivity rate and the death rate have also increased at a fast pace, Rajasthan Health Secretary Siddharth Mahajan said.

"Thirty-one deaths took place last month but in 17 days of April, 291 deaths have occurred. It is almost 10 times higher," he had mentioned in a presentation that was shown during a chief minister's review meeting on Sunday.

"The weekly positivity rate was 2.27 per cent four weeks ago and it has now increased to 12.91 per cent," Mahajan said.

According official figures, the doubling rate of coronavirus cases was 94 days on April 11, but it dropped to 45 days on April 18.

The doubling rate has reduced to 45 which means that the active case would double in 45 days, Mahajan said.

There were 67,135 active cases on Sunday.

The second wave of the coronavirus is deadlier than the first outbreak of last year, he said.

"The number of (daily) deaths in the state was three on April 17 last year. It was 37 on the same day this year. Similarly, the number of (daily) positive cases in Jaipur on April 17 last year was eight but this year, on the same day, it was 1,484, he said.

Mahajan said even in Jaisalmer, the weekly positivity rate is four per cent.

Jaisalmer is the geographically largest district of Rajasthan and has a scattered population.

He said that beds in hospitals are filling fast and the demand for oxygen has increased which is expected to further rise significantly in the coming days.

Rajasthan on Sunday recorded 10,262 coronavirus positive cases and 42 deaths, which were the highest in a single day in the state.

With this, the cumulative numbers of positive cases and deaths have increased to 4,14,617 and 3151, respectively.