‘Google mobility data may impact Covid spread’

| | New Delhi
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‘Google mobility data may impact Covid spread’

Sunday, 18 July 2021 | PNS | New Delhi

Based on the Google community mobility data which showed a sharp rise, the Union Health Ministry has expressed concern saying it may impact the spread of the Covid-19 infection in the country.

 The Google community data showed the overall movement of people has become manifold in most States which eased the restrictions after the second wave of pandemic.  Several studies, including one by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), found the third wave could hit India by August end. But a deeper look at Covid data indicates that the third wave may have already hit India.

According to the Google Community mobility map showing data, there is a 22 percent rise in mobility trends for places such as supermarkets, food warehouses, farmers markets, specialty food shops and pharmacies. The mobility trends for places of residence have risen over 12 percent. The data showed a decline of 26 percent for places of work. The mobility in Andhra Pradesh has shown 28 percent rise in supermarkets and pharmacy. In Bihar, mobility rose to 10 percent in public transport and 42 percent in supermarket areas.

Luv Agarwal, joint secretary of the ministry of health, said that most of the districts have reached pre-Covid level mobility and some have registered more mobility than previous times. A few places in Kerala and the northeast have negative mobility. Some districts of western, central and northeastern India too have lower mobility. But the rest of India, shown in red on the map, has normal mobility. And the transformation took place between May and July. Mobility data for districts marked in white were not available.

 The sudden crowding at tourist places has become a cause of concern. High mobility is recorded in a majority of districts, which may not be tourist spots.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with chief ministers of six States — Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh — over the rise of Covid cases and warned against the third wave of the pandemic, the threat of which is real for India.

These six states account for 80% of the total cases and 84% of deaths from Covid, with Kerala and Maharashtra responsible for more than half of the active and fresh caseload burden. Also, when compared to other states, these six states have seen a much higher growth rate in Covid cases in recent times.

Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (13773), Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha.

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