The country-wide ′R′ value is above the 1.0 mark, with continued fears of a third wave expected to hit this month.

The government stated that it didn’t matter how low the daily cases are; if ′R′ value is above 1.0, it is a cause for concern. The Health Ministry provided data showing that the national ′R′ value crossed the 1.0-mark last month. The last time the ‘R’ value was above this level was in March when it was 1.32, which was prior to the second wave. Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have an effective ′R′ value of 1.3, while Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have values of 1.1 and 1.0. The trend in daily new cases from Punjab is "increasing". Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have ‘R’ value of 1.1, and Goa and Nagaland have a value of 1.0. The trend from these states is "stable"… (NDTV, August 10, 2021)