Delhi may be past COVID-19 peak: AIIMS Director Dr Guleria

New Delhi: Delhi seems to have hit the COVID-19 peak with the number of daily cases declining significantly, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said on Monday but cautioned against any lowering of guard.

He also said cases are increasing in certain states and they will reach a peak later, but there is not much evidence of community transmission of COVID-19 at the national level. "However, there are hotspots even in cities where there is a spike of cases, and it is likely that local transmission is happening in those areas that is why containment zones need aggressive action," he said.

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Asked if COVID-19 cases in India have hit the peak, Guleria said, "My feeling is that certain areas have hit their peak. Delhi seems to have done so because the cases have declined significantly. But certain areas are yet to reach their peak. Cases are increasing in certain states. They will reach a peak later," he said.

Some states in the South, Ahmedabad in Gujarat and the central part of Mumbai also seem to be showing a decline, he said. "But then having hit the peak does not mean that you have to let your guard down. In many cities outside India, especially in the US, when people felt the peak is over and started not following social distancing and not wearing masks, there has been a spike of cases," he said, underlining that even if number of cases come down, infection control and containment measures along with other dos and don'ts have to be followed to sustain that trend. Reaching a peak is a sign that the curve of the number of infections is flattening and the number of cases are coming down.

The Health Ministry has reiterated on several occasions that there is no community transmission of COVID-19 in the country. At a press briefing on July 9, Rajesh Bhushan, Officer on Special Duty in the Union Health Ministry, had said India has not reached the stage of community transmission. "In some geographical areas, there have been localized outbreaks.

We should not forget that in our country, 49 districts alone account for 80 per cent of COVID-19 cases. "In a country of more than 733 districts, if 49 districts account for 80 per cent cases, then it is not justified to talk about community transmission," he had said.

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