Page 380 - ES 2020-21_Volume-1-2 [28-01-21]
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State of the Economy 2020-21: A Macro View 7
Figure 6: Trends in COVID-19 Deaths across Regions in India
6 (a): Share in Total Deaths 6 (b): Death Waves
100% 14
12
80% 10
New Deaths ('000) 6
60% 8
40% 4
20% 2
0
0% May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Northern Central
Central Eastern North Eastern Eastern North Eastern
Northern Southern Western Southern Western
6 (c): Total Deaths per Lakh
Source: Data accessed from https://www.Covid19india.org/, MoH&FW
st
Note: Data is as on 31 December, 2020
The Zones are defined as per the Zonal Councils
RAMPING uP TESTING
1.8 As the first step towards timely identification, prompt isolation & treatment, testing was
identified as an effective strategy to limit the spread of infection. A characteristic of the pandemic,
which aggravated its virulence, was its probable transmission by asymptomatic people. Large-
scale testing was, therefore, imperative for quick identification of cases, immediate isolation
to prevent spread and timely treatment. It also helped in effective contact tracing and timely
isolation of prospective cases. Testing policy has been continuously evolving since the beginning
of the pandemic with countries rapidly gearing up the testing capacity to curb the pace of spread
(Figure 7).
