Haryana sees 3-fold increase in COVID-19 cases during May, most of them from 4 NCR districts

Haryana has recorded a three-fold increase in coronavirus cases this month, majority of them being reported from four districts falling in the National Capital Region.

The cases have jumped from 339 as on April 30 to 1,031 on May 21.

The coronavirus cases in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar, which fall in the NCR, jumped from 54, 53, 25 and 24, respectively, as on April 30 to 239, 181, 150 and 91 by May 21, according to data put out by the state health department in its daily bulletins.

Eleven of the 15 COVID-19 deaths which the state has reported so far took place during the month of May.

On May 4, Haryana had recorded the highest single-day jump in coronavirus cases when 75 infections were reported and a day earlier the state had reported 66 infections, most of these from the NCR districts.

The number of active cases in the state have gone up from 100 on April 30 to 335 on May 21.

Commenting on the spurt in COVID-19 cases in the NCR, Health Minister Anil Vij said the people living in districts which are closer to Delhi have also been affected.

There are a total of 12,319 coronavirus cases in the national capital, according to authorities.

Haryana has maintained that several cases reported from Sonipat, Jhajjar, Gurgaon, Faridabad and even Panipat have their origins in infections emanating from the national capital, following which authorities had put strict regulation on borders with Delhi to check the spread of infection.

Though essential services and movement of doctors, paramedical staff and some others as per orders of the Delhi High Court have been allowed.

"We had to put strict regulations on our borders with Delhi to check the spread of infection. We have nothing against the people of Delhi, but we have to protect our own people too," Vij said.

The health minister said over three weeks ago several cases were reported in NCR districts "as infection spread in our vegetable markets in Gurgaon, Sonipat, Jhajjar and Faridabad, whose origins were from Delhi".

"I keep saying this repeatedly that more relaxations are being given but we will have to remain cautious and make changes in our daily lives as per the demand of the present situation," he said.

"Wearing masks and observing social distancing need to be followed. However, I have suggested that we should have laws which will make not wearing masks and violating social distancing norms a punishable offence," Vij added.