The arrival of the postman is a much-anticipated event in Chinnambavi village in Telangana. Senior citizens and widows wait for him to bring them their pension, and news from the outside world. On August 16, however, he seems to have brought along the coronavirus too. Ten days after the postman’s visit to this village of 25,000 people, 110 inhabitants—many of them elderly—tested positive for COVID. Many had to be treated at the district headquarters of Wanaparthy. The district, which has 21 containment zones, has just one COVID hospital with 100 beds, and they are filling up fast.
The situation in Pune district in Maharashtra is as grim. Till three weeks ago, all the 360 residents of the Rajewadi village in the district were free of COVID. Then, on August 17, an elderly resident died of the disease, which he is thought to have contracted while visiting a temple in a neighboring village. Today, the village has 91 cases and a worryingly high infection rate of 25 percent compared to the national average of 8.6 percent. The nearest COVID hospital is in Pune city, 50 km away. But COVID hospitals there are packed with patients. Given the present doubling rate, the district will likely see another 27,000 cases over the next week, which will leave it short of about 2,000 oxygen beds, 150 ICU beds, and some 350 ventilators.
This story is from the September 21, 2020 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 21, 2020 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Macallan M 2023 debuts in India
Standing as a pinnacle of exclusivity, The Macallan M 2023 graces the shores of India with limited 10 handpicked bottles for whisky aficionados
Give it up for the science bros
They've got brains, brawn and billions in the bank. A new breed of wellness guru is doing for men what Gwyneth Paltrow did for women.
LIVING BY THE RULES
Chetan Bhagat returns to non-fiction with his new book-11 Rules for Life
The Mysterious City
Anuradha Kumar's The Kidnapping of Mark Twain paints an intriguing portrait of Bombay around the time of the American writer's visit
GOWDA KNOWS
Hot Stage, the third book in Anita Nair's Inspector Gowda mystery series, is here
WITH OUR OWN DESI SLEUTHS
Indian detective fiction gets its due in this massive, two-volume compilation from Hachette
PRIVATE PARADISE
Your home may well be your haven, but here are easy ways to make it your very own spa-dom.
Subversive IN SUBURBIA
A MONTH-LONG SHOW AT ART AND CHARLIE, MUMBAI, SHOWCASING THE WORKS OF POONAM JAIN AND YOGESH BARVE POSES SEVERAL QUESTIONS TO THE VIEWER
THE HOME THAT WAS
A soon-to-launch gallery at the Partition Museum in Delhi will showcase artefacts capturing 'The Lost Homeland of Sindh'
The Enchanted Forest
A perfect refuge for city-weary folk, Six Senses Vana, the global brand's first dedicated wellness retreat in India, is where you go to retrieve yourself: Rest, reset and rejuvenate, the blockbuster RRR of the wellness universe.