Coimbatore district is yet to register a declining trend in the spread of COVID-19 as the increase in the number of tests done has resulted in a corresponding increase in the number of new cases.
While the weekly cumulative positivity rate of the disease in the district was 4.0 % when 10,350 tests were done between July 3 and 9, the rate increased to 13.2 % when 21,399 testes were done between August 21 and 27, showed the district wise COVID-19 dashbaord released by the Health Department.
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The highest cumulative positivity rate was 14.2 % recorded in the seven day period from August 14 to 20 when 18,874 samples were subjected to COVID-19 test.
G. Ramesh Kumar, Deputy Director of Health Services, Coimbatore, said that the focus was to bring down the positivity rate.
According to him, a fall in the positivity rate, even when the number of tests remains high, was required to register a declining trend of the disease spread in the district.
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As per the Health Department data, the number of positive cases reported in a week saw a steady increase.
While 415 positive cases were reported in the seven day period between July 4 and 10, the number shot up to 2,909 between August 22 and 28.
The average daily new cases reported during the week in the district was 416 in the seven days period ending on August 28. While the recovery rate of the district was 74 %, the average daily recoveries in the week was 357. The average daily deaths reported in the same week was seven.
Altogether, the district had a weekly case growth rate of 16.8 % against the weekly test growth rate of 38.6 % as of August 28.
Meanwhile, the district recorded a decline in the trajectory of deaths reported per week.
While five deaths were reported between July 3 and 9, the figure went up to 65 between August 14 and 20. The weekly deaths declined to 48 between August 21 and 27.