Was August end of 2nd wave, start of the third?

People buy flowers at a market in Dadar on August 30. Pic/Ashish Raje

Both the COVID-19 cases and deaths were on the lower side in August, but the month may just turn out to be the end of the second wave of the pandemic and beginning of the third. On February 13, the number of active cases was the lowest for the first wave, but soon after the numbers started increasing, kicking off the second one. Similarly, on August 17 the number of active cases was 2,640, the lowest in the second wave, but it has been on the rise since then.

The total number of cases registered in August is 8,836, lowest for a month since the beginning of the pandemic. On an average, there were 294 cases daily. Till August 17, the average number of daily cases was 275, which then rose to 316 in the second half of the month. On August 17, the active cases were 2,640, which increased to 3,106 by the end of the month. On February 13, the active cases were 5,276, lowest in the first wave. However, it increased to 9,000 by the end of the month. The rise in August may seem slow, but similar was the pace at the beginning of the second wave.

People wait to get jabbed, in Dahisar on Wednesday. Pic/Satej Shinde

While last month had the lowest number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic, the deaths have been on the higher side. In August, a total of 147 deaths were registered with an average of five deaths per day. In February, over 17,000 cases were reported but deaths were 115.

Meanwhile, data reveals that over 10.56 lakh tests were carried out in August at an average of 35,208 tests per day. In July, the average number of tests was 32,383 per day.

Also Read: Increasing number of Covid-19 cases in some states indicate third wave: ICMR

"The corporation is preparing itself by increasing testing, which includes RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen, and ensuring the availability of kits at all times. All the seven zones and 24 ward offices of the BMC were directed last month to prepare COVID Care Centres and hospitals, upgrade the ward war rooms and ensure effective management of containment zones," said a BMC official.