India’s COVID-19 cases in the current wave of the pandemic have started to decline in seven states and Union territories, as several others see a slowdown in the surge, suggest weekly numbers.

However, fatalities related to COVID-19 increased in all major states in the week ending Sunday (January 17-23), as compared to the previous week. The steepest decline in cases was recorded in Delhi and Bengal, with Delhi recording 81,741 cases, dropping by 96% from the previous week’s figure of 1,60,240. Bengal reported a drop in cases by 111% in the week. Other states reporting a decline in cases included Jharkhand with an 83% fall in cases in the week, Bihar with a 71% drop, Goa with 8.5% and Chandigarh with 14% fall. Chhattisgarh logged a slight dip of 1%.

The surge appeared to slow down in several other states, including Maharashtra, which saw an increase in cases by just 2.6% during the week, and Odisha witnessing a surge of 11%. Punjab saw a 14% rise in cases. These states reported a lower growth rate compared to the preceding week.

The country recorded a 91% surge in fatalities, with 2,672 deaths reported during the week… (ET Healthworld – TNN, January 25, 2022)