Understanding total figure of 2212
Two digit increase
The total now stands at 2212 (as on July 25), with 1520 persons having recovered leaving 692 active cases putting the recovery rate at a somewhat healthy 68.71 percent. The figures apart, what is worrying is the spread of the virus, with at least 19 reporters of different Imphal based media houses advised to undergo home quarantine for at least 14 days, after a staff of the National Health Mission and posted at the COVID-19 Common Control Room at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat tested positive. This is not at all a comforting development, for the reporters who have been advised to undergo home quarantine did cover a media conference held at the official residence of the Chief Minister on July 23 and two days have passed since then and God forbid, but if any reporter tests positive, then the situation can only be imagined. The other staff of 19 newspaper establishments, including the sub-editors, the reporters, the Editors themselves, those in the advertising section, those in the management section etc would have been exposed to the virus and such a situation could be ugly. This is about the media houses in Imphal, but look wider and the situation is not at all comforting. Double digit spikes continue and it wouldn’t take long for Manipur to hit the three thousand figure. The mortality rate is low and Manipur so far has been fortunate in that there has been not a single death, but there is no guarantee that this situation will continue. Already neighbouring Nagaland has seen deaths, and so too Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. Assam on the other hand is way up there with the number of deaths pegged at 77 and over 31 thousand positive cases.
The double digit increase in the number of positive cases is also in line with what is happening all over the country. In just two days, that is on July 24 and July 25, India recorded a spike of over one lakh positive cases amid concern that the country is yet to see the worst. It was before March this year that The Sangai Express had expressed concern that the spread of the virus here would be much more than in China, taking into consideration the fact that India has one of the highest population per square kilometre. As per the 2011 census, the population per square kilometre in India stood at 382 while in China (2018) it was a much more healthy 148 persons per square kilometre. Manipur too has a healthy ratio of 115 persons per square kilometre, according to the 2011 census but measures taken up to combat the virus cannot be slackened. From one positive case at the fag end of March this year to over 2000 in July and the spread has indeed been fast. What is more worrying is also the fact that quite a large number of people with no travel history have tested positive, particularly in Jiribam and Thoubal. Officially it is being maintained that there is no community transmission as so far the sources of infection have been established, but if the present trend continues, one cannot be too sure that the status quo will continue. At the moment, a fresh lockdown spell is on and it is expected of the people to extend all their co-operation and respect the call to remain indoors, maintain physical distancing and maintain individual hygiene.