Covid cases in the city are rising with the infection rate increasing five times compared to the second wave in March and April this year. However, the authorities are not keen on a lockdown as the number of hospitalisations is almost half of the earlier wave.
 
To put things in perspective, in the past 10 days, from December 19 to 29, active cases increased by 6,000 and the number of patients in hospitals rose by 1,000. Whereas, during the onset of the second wave, it took a month for active cases to rise to the same level and the number of hospitalisations to 2,000.

“More than 90 per cent of the patients have no symptoms at all. Less than five per cent patients are hospitalised and do not need oxygen or intensive care unit. The only issue is the growth rate which is very high as well as the doubling rate which is one or two days,” said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner of the BMC.